The All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer, Chief Timipre Sylva and the state Governor Seriake Dickson have shifted the battle for the Governorship seat of the state to Abuja amidst tension between their supporters.
Sylva and Dickson are armed with evidence on the disputed conduct and outcome of the election in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.
Most areas visited showed that the disputed governorship election is the subject of discussion.
But the Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation has reassured all their teeming supporters across the state that there is no cause to worry as the process of the governorship election is not yet completed.
APC said, “We urge all APC members and supporters to remain calm and law-abiding in this critical period. Our leaders, the APC gubernatorial candidate and former governor Timipre Sylva, and Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri are working hard to resolve the issues around the so-called cancellation of the Southern Ijaw LGA election results.
“We are very confident that our victory will be restored in no distant time and our candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva declared as the duly elected governor of Bayelsa State having won the majority of votes and satisfied all requirements of the Electoral Law.”
“As a party, we know that whatever happened at Southern Ijaw LGA could not have been worse than what took place in Sagbama and Ekeremor; yet, these results were not cancelled.”
“Chief Timipre Sylva particularly acknowledges and appreciates the doggedness, courage and personal sacrifices made by our party leaders in the state, especially the Director-general of the campaign, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, party Chairman, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe and a host of others. Let us remain positive and prepare for the best Christmas gift ever.”
Probe role of military personnel in Bayelsa poll crisis, South-South elders write COAS
Elders and traditional rulers from the South-South geo-political zone have written to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major-General T. Y. Buratai, to investigate the role of military personnel in the violence and electoral fraud that marred the inconclusive governorship election in Bayelsa State.
The elders and traditional rulers, under the aegis of the South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA), stated that though the deployment of the military personnel was done to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the election particularly the contentious Southern Ijaw elections, their decision to allow open display of lawlessness and participation in the electoral fraud perpetrated in the area is criminal and should be probed.
The SSPA, in a statement in Yenagoa and read to newsmen by the Secretary-general, Chief Ayakeme Whiskey, said the investigation to be instituted by the chief of army staff should cover issues of alleged involvement of soldiers in the hijack of election materials, provision of cover for electoral offenders and standing by while militia groups engaged in open orgy of violence in most local government areas including Southern Ijaw.
It said, “We gather from field observers that the personnel of the JTF, whose apolitical role should be to escort materials to various wards and to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections, became partisan and interested parties. Rather than provide protection for the electorate and electoral materials, their involvement was more than mere passing interest.”
“There was also the report of how personnel of the JTF purportedly abetted the release of electoral materials that were in the custody of a police station to an agent of the APC at about 4a.m. after the materials had been recovered from the same party agent who hijacked it.”
-Leadership