The All Progressives Congress ,APC, candidate in the Bayelsa State governorship election, Chief Timipre Sylva, has described the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, candidate, Governor Seriake Dickson, as an embattled, desperate and divisive person.
The former governor was reacting to Dickson’s press conference on Monday where he referred to Sylva as a violent politician . Sylva spoke through the Director of Media and Publicity, Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, Chief Nathan Egba.
Dickson had said in part , “Although Sylva is my friend and brother, I do not like his brand of politics of violence. I will roundly defeat him (Sylva) and the APC again and again.”
But Sylva, in his reaction, said even before he (Dickson) uttered the first sentence, anybody that was familiar with his public speeches since last year could guess fairly and accurately the things he would say .
He said the governor had no other issue to discuss other than that Sylva and the APC perpetrated violence and used security agencies, the Presidency and other top federal officials to influence the outcome of the election.
Sylva added, “In the same breadth, he is claiming an unassailable lead, according to him, having won in six out of seven local government areas results so far declared and that he has the total support of the people of the Southern Ijaw LGA.
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“At this point, one really wonders why he is still embattled and running from pillar to post, holding press briefings and radio broadcasts almost on a daily basis. Why did he go to beg the Presidency to be allowed to win in the Southern Ijaw LGA in return for defecting to the APC?
“Bayelsa State has never had a more deceitful, dictatorial, wasteful and divisive governor such as Seriake Dickson, such that instead of campaigning on a pan-Bayelsa platform, Dickson has set about whipping up core-Ijaw and non-core-Ijaw ethnic sentiments within this small Bayelsa State.”
He wondered why Dickson allegedly stop ped the salaries of civil servants who voted for the APC in the governorship election .
“Why would he, as a sitting governor, import into his own state gunmen from neighbouring states to cause mayhem? All in the bid to win election! Whereas, he knows the terrible security situation the state is facing under him,” Sylva asked.
H e expressed optimism that this Saturday, Dickson would be defeated and a more humane and uniting governor , in his person , would emerge .
Meanwhile, the national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to remain neutral in the polls.
The PDP has however, vowed to rally its formation in the state and particularly Southern Ijaw council, to use all means necessary in a democracy to resist any move by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to rig the election.
In a statement by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said that it has since been made aware of plots by the APC to use compromised security operatives and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials to attempt to produce fictitious votes and declare itself winner, but vowed that any such unholy bid would be greeted with vehement resistance and dire consequences.
