Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged political candidates in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Bayelsa to play-down political violence before, during, and after the elections.
Jonathan stated this in Yenagoa, the state capital, as special guest of honour at a leadership workshop/conference on Credible Governorship Election and Good Governance in Bayelsa State organised by the Ijaw Elders Forum, Lagos.
According to Jonathan: “For those that want to lead us politically, they must try as they can to play down violence. All those that want to lead us as the governorship elections are coming, they should play down violence.
“We should come together as Bayelsans and tell whoever wants to rule us that we won’t accept violence.
“If anybody uses violence, we would stand by the people till the end.
“After the primaries of the political parties all the candidates should come and pledge in our presence that they would not be involved in violence during the elections. Nobody should expect us to elect him as the governor of Bayelsa State if one person dies during the election.”