But for the swift and intelligence led intervention of the security agencies in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State led by the Divisional Police Officer of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Bonny Division, Superintendent of Police (SP), Usman Sadiq, violence would have engulfed the Bonny Youths Federation (BYF) elections at the weekend.

Upon being alerted by his men that there was crisis at the Ibanise Hall, Akiama, Bonny, venue of the election, SP Sadiq, alongside his counterparts from sister agencies, drove down to the place and calmed the situation.

They were to learn that the Chairman of the Bonny Youths Federation (CTC) Caretaker Committee, Tamuno-Opubo Wilcox had run away from the venue for his dear life, after reportedly failing to manage the situation.

Kristina Reports gathered that trouble started when alleged attempts by the Wilcox led BYF CTC to disqualify some of the contestants few minutes to the election through the backdoor backfired with the youths going on rampage to protest the illegality.

Eyewitnesses say attempts to have him rescind his decision failed thus infuriating the youths who insisted that no contestant would be disqualified on the day of the election.

In the heat of the crisis that ensued, the BYF CTC Chairman scampered away from the venue for his dear life.   

It took the intervention of SP Usman Sadiq, the Local Government Security Officer (LGSO), Olusegun Ajayi, the Divisional Head of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kaizer Dange, and the team leads of the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy to restore sanity and for the election process to recommence.

Kristina Reports reliably learnt that this was after the security chiefs insisted that all the contestants must be allowed to participate in the polls.

The youths acknowledging the altruism and sincerity of the security chiefs resolved to calm down and participate in the process and stayed through the accreditation, voting, announcement of results and declaration of winners for the various positions.

An eyewitness, who preferred anonymity, told Kristina Reports that there were clear indications that the illegal disqualification attempt was only one out of many other plans to rig the elections, disclosing that the ballot papers were far more than the number of delegates and were not marked with names or photos of the contestants.

“This almost caused another uproar but we thank God for that DPO and his colleagues. If not for them I’m not even sure I would have gotten home alive. It was a completely shoddy process that was not well managed. The failure of the CTC was very obvious, ordinary youth election he could not deliver.”

At the end of the process, which many who spoke to Kristina Reports adjudged the worst election in the history of the Bonny Youths Federation (BYF), Emmanuel Finecountry emerged the Leader of the BYF, with Osobonye Longjohn as Deputy Leader.

Others were Boma Halliday; General Secretary, Augustine Wilcox; Assistant General Secretary, Alfred Jamaica; Exchequer, Michael Pepple; Director of Security, Alvin Benstowe; Director of Publicity, Anthony Banigo; Director of Manpower and Employment Matters, Favour Attoni; Director of Women Affairs, Ibifubara Allaputa; Director of Environmental Protection and Pollution, Gladden Dan-Jumbo; Director of Culture, and Sydney Irimagha; Director of Socials.