Bayelsa APC condemns recent offer of N1 billion to INEC over Bayelsa Governorship election -As APC candidate David Lyon massive support is ubiquitous . Ban Operation Doo-Akpo in Bayelsa election-Ex-Militant leader

   

   The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemn the recent offer of the sum of N1 billion to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Henry Dickson. 

 

   This offer is for nothing else than a criminal effort towards colluding with INEC to jeopardize the November 16 governorship polls and upend the wishes of the electorates.

   A statement issued by the Alternate Director General of the APC Campaign Council, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe Said it is important to notify the national and state officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that their integrity is at stake and that any perpetuation of an illegality in connivance with the PDP, which is just a paper tiger, and a rejected party in the State for its twenty years of misrule, will destroy the image of the electoral body.

   We therefore, urge INEC to withstand the temptation of being used by the PDP to truncate the electoral process, especially with regard to the November 16 governorship polls in the State.

It is shameful that the PDP which claims to be on ground with all the structures required to win the elections, has chosen an illegal path by releasing such a whooping sum to compromise electoral standards.

   We are worried that at a time when pensioners’ gratuity liability in the State stands at over N30 billion and there is a very huge infrastructure gap, Mr, Dickson could criminally offer that sum to compromise an election in which he is not even a candidate.

   A sensible and sensitive leader would rather have spent that sum to clear some backlog of payments to workers and pensioners to drastically reduce the prevailing poverty in the State.

   It is quite unfortunate that the Bayelsa state chapter of the People Democratic Party (PDP) is accusing the All Progressive Congress (APC) of influencing the appointment of adhoc staff by the Independent National Electoral commission for the November 16th Governorship polls in the State.

   That accusation without doubt is symptomatic of a sinking Party who in error believes that the electoral umpire cannot on its own recruit its staff for purposes of election but must depend on others to get things done.

   The PDP has always perpetuated such illegalities to impend the electoral wishes of the people and whenever they fail in their bid to compromise the process by colluding with INEC they cry foul, which is what they have resorted to again.

   They have failed to know that it is always within the purview of the electoral Umpire to select their adhoc staff for the conduct of election based on set criteria’s which includes competence and capacity to handle critical assignments such as election and that INEC performs this assignment with the view to conducting credible polls.

   The APC as a Party is known for its adherence to credible free and fair election. Does not and refuses to wear the Toga of compromising globally acceptable standard of elections by colluding with the Umpire to perpetrate such.

   On the contrary, it is a criminal exercise for the PDP to accuse the APC of a crime that freely run through it’s (PDP) blood stream.

   The PDP in 2015, working through the then resident electoral commissioner (REC) in the state, Truncated APC’s victory through an Illegal cancellation of APC’s valid votes in a Local Government, which paved the way for PDP’s victory.

   Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it has also uncovered plans by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to compromise security agents and electoral personnel deployed to work to cover the Nov 16 governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa.

   The ruling party also accused the PDP of planning to employ violence in both states, citing the threat issued against the governor Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El’rufai, who is the chairman of the Kogi Governorship Campaign Council, by the PDP, not to step into Kogi State.

   The statement, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, noted that the APC had been vigorously engaged with campaigns in both states, deploying huge numbers of state governors and other senior national leaders of the party to execute the campaigns in the states.

   APC, which alleged that violence had been the PDP’s election strategy all through its years as the ruling party, claimed that the opposition party had refused to engage in any form of election campaign in either of the two states going into election on November 16.

   In Bayelsa State, the ruling party said it had good intelligence information that the PDP had already been stockpiling arms and funds to devote to votes buying, adding that the PDP-controlled government of the state had become intimidated by the growing stature of the APC governorship candidate, Chief David Lyon and the gale of defection from the party to the APC.

   “The All Progressives Congress (APC) is alerting the security agencies to an orchestrated plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to unleash violence in the lead up to and during the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

“Already, the PDP is creating an atmosphere of fear and stage-managed violence, while playing the victim so as to scare voters from coming out on election day to exercise their franchise.

  “It is instructive to note that violence has been the election winning strategy for the PDP during its inglorious 16 years rule. The strategy started to fail them from 2015 and particularly in the 2019 elections. This strategy will fail again on November 16.

   “We strongly call on security agencies to take seriously PDP’s recent threats to the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Ahmed Nasir El-Rufai who is the Chairman of the APC Kogi State National Governoship Campaign Council, to “steer clear” of Kogi State during the electioneering period.

   “One asks, why has the PDP refused to embark on any major campaign in Bayelsa and Kogi states? They are clearly no planning for a credible electoral process. We have confirmed PDP’s grand plan to rather than campaign, compromise security agents and electoral personnel deployed for the governorship elections.

   “In Kogi, defeat stares PDP in the face and because they do not have any answer to Governor Yahaya Bello’s tremendous accomplishments, they have decided to create an atmosphere of fear, stage-manage violence and are typically getting ready to cause chaos on election day.

   “In Bayelsa, the centre has completely fallen apart for the PDP with the gale of defection of many party stalwarts and senior appointees of the outgoing administration of Governor Seriake Dickson into the APC fold. The massive and post-partisan popularity of the APC candidate, Chief David Lyon is visible to the blind.

   “We have recieved reports of arms stockpiling and vote-buying plans by PDP elements in Bayelsa State. We have also confirmed reports showing plans are afoot to stage-manage violence to disrupt the election while blaming APC.

   “Currently, the APC campaign trains are rounding off ward and community levels campaign all across Kogi State. A formidable campaign council has been inaugurated by the National Working Committee (NWC) under the leadership of the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam El-Rufai. The council boasts of seven serving governors and several experienced political leaders of our party.

  “Similarly, the APC has set up a campaign council for the Bayelsa governorship election under the leadership of the Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Badaru with several serving governors as members. This is in demonstration of our desire to win election by securing majority votes in both states under free and fair elections.

   “We must collectively resist PDP’s plot to rubbish the successes we have recorded in the conduct of credible elections since 2015. We urge the electorate to defend their votes to ensure progressive leadership in the states,” the statement reads.

   But, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has responded to an allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that it is working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig elections in some states.

   A statement by the PDP issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, on Monday, had accused Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chairman, of “overtly playing the script of the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) by declaring governorship elections in states where the PDP is in clear lead as inconclusive”.

   PDP alleged that the INEC Chairman had become “overtly partisan, surrendered its independence to the APC and carries on as a compromised umpire with obnoxious impunity, thereby sending signals of being heavily bribed by the APC to alter results for its candidates”.

PDP also made references to states where elections were declared inconclusive.

   However, the electoral commission has denied the claims by PDP, stating that its primary goal is to ensure free, fair and credible elections.

   A statement issued by Rotimi Oyekanmi, spokesman to the INEC Chairman, on Monday, read: “It is quite unfortunate that at this particular period when the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) is busy trying to conclude the remaining  governorship and state houses of assembly elections, the Peoples Democratic Party has embarked on making spurious and libelous allegations, without concrete proofs as usual.

   Also, Bayelsa State Resident Electoral Commission, Pastor Monday Udoh Tom has debunked allegations against him and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over Bayelsa state governorship election.

   Pastor Udoh in a press briefing at the INEC state headquarters in Yenagoa, said the Commission in the state was interested and seriously working towards conducting a fair, free, credible and peaceful election come November 16, 2019.

    According to him the Commission will remain focus in achieving its mandate; and would not be distracted by fake and false news been peddle about himself and INEC Bayelsa State.

“We shall not join issues with anyone by propagating false information because this person wants to win election at any cost by running other person down”

   But Pastor Udoh asserted emphatically that “election is a contest of win or lose”. We are advising anyone that wins to be magnanimous in winning and the loser to be gallant in defeat.

   He averred that INEC is not a political party; and INEC has no candidate in Bayelsa state November 16 governorship election.

   Udoh added that INEC was strictly to its rule by recruiting Adhoc staff who applied, are shortlisted and trained, pointing out that the training was carried out in Abuja and Bayelsa state.

   He debunks that INEC did not give contract to anybody to recruit any cadre of staff for its operations as was alleged.

INEC therefore called upon the electorates in Bayelsa state saying that its has spent huge resources to sensitize people to go out on November 16 and perform their civic responsibility by voting for whoever person that they are convince will serve their interest.

He maintained that INEC has also trained security agencies on their role in the election and appealed to them to conduct themselves professionally during the election.

Noting that all INEC staff have also been trained, advised them to be fair and impartial while carrying out their assigned duties and to be fair in doing what is right.

   But, AN ex-militant leader, Eris Paul, popularly known as Ogunboss, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State of recruiting armed thugs for the November 16 governorship election in the state.

    Paul, a former commander, Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), alleged that the state-owned security outfit, Operation Doo-Akpo, was spearheading the recruitment.

  In a Save-Our-Soul message, the ex-militant leader called on the National Security Adviser to the President, Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Monguno and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomole, to handle his complaints with seriousness.

  Specifically, Paul called for the immediate disbandment of Operation Doo-Akpo to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from its plans to use it to abuse the electoral process.

He said: “Operation Doo-Akpo is Dickson’s self-owned army in the state that is being used to terrorise political enemies. This same outfit in 2015 was used in hijacking electoral materials from Amassoama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, which almost led to shootout between a stop-and-search military checkpoint and the governor’s security outfit.

“Some two years ago, about nine youths from Amassoama community were gruesomely killed during a peaceful protest by operatives of the local outfit, Operation Doo-Akpo.

  “Dickson’s ambition is not worth the lives of every Bayelsan and we are using this medium to call on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the president, and the party Chairman Chief Adams Oshiomhole for the urgent ban of the illegally constituted security outfit.

  “We are also aware that the PDP administration under Governor Seriake Dickson and the sinking ship of the ruling party has started recruiting criminals to hijack electoral materials in some riverine communities.

   “We want to call on the Chairman of our able and committed political party, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and National Security Adviser (NSA) to quickly intervene before things get out of hand.

   “Two weeks ago, Doo-Akpo men were seen around 1:20am at Onobom community in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state while escorting known thugs and cultists on a speedboat owned by a serving local government chairman.

   “Dickson and the PDP have never won any violence-free election in the state. Therefore, we call for its immediate ban before the November 16th governorship election in the state.”

From all indications, there is palpable fear in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa state over the electorates desire to vote massively for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief David Lyon and his running mate, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo for the November 16 governorship election in the state.

   It is a glaring fact that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will certainly win the election under free and fair election provided the electoral body and the security agencies  in the country will refrain from collecting inducement from the PDP in Bayelsa state which was alleged has kept about N30 billion to purchase votes from the impoverish people of the state during the election; as well as inducing the electoral body and security agencies.