ABUJA – The Bayelsa Mandate Forum has expressed alarm about a recent violent outburst and the untime­ly death of a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member in the state’s Nembe community.

Mrs. Esther Ikurite, the fo­rum’s chairperson, linked the violent act to inflammatory remarks and a call for violence against supporters of opposition parties allegedly made just a few days prior by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and his running mate, Mr. Joshua Maciv­er, in a statement made available to reporters.

Mr. Maciver had exhorted supporters of the APC during a campaign event in Twon Brass to chase followers of any opposing political party into the sea till they died during the upcoming Novem­ber 11th governorship election.

“Our group has always cher­ished peace, unity, and the spirit of brotherhood among our mem­bers, and we have actively con­tributed to the development and progress of Bayelsa State,” accord­ing to the statement. Recent acts of political violence, on the other hand, have damaged our trust and produced an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.

“We strongly condemn any form of violence, intimidation, and hate speech in the run-up to the upcoming November 11, 2023, governorship election.”We also urge law authorities to thorough­ly investigate the recent violence in the Nembe community and bring the offenders to justice. To ensure that such incidents do not reoccur and that those who resort to violence are held accountable for their actions, justice must be administered.”