A pro-democracy group, the National Frontiers, has restated its opposition to the use of the military during today’s supplementary governorship election in Bayelsa State.

The group had on Monday, January 4, began sit-out advocacy to demand the de-militarisation of the electoral process in Southern Ijaw and the protection of the rights of the people of Southern Ijaw, particularly the women and young people against further harassment by security agents and their civilian collaborators.

A statement issued yesterday by the group said: “Today being the 5th day of the Sit-Out advocacy, which has held at the Abuja Unity Fountain since it began, our group wishes to restate our opposition to the use of the military in carrying out the basic security during elections in Bayelsa State tomorrow and that they should rather serve as back up to the police and other para-military organs who are statutorily empowered to manage security during elections.

“We are also demanding that everyone arrested for electoral violence during the last governorship election in Bayelsa and other elections should be immediately prosecuted irrespective of their status.

“The government must criminalise rigging and electoral violence as a way of safeguarding our democracy.

“The will of the people must be allowed to prevail and INEC must resist every external pressure seeking to use the commission to manipulate the outcome of the elections in Southern Ijaw Local Government and future elections in Nigeria.

“We restate that election is not war and not a do or die affair.”