The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday in Yenagoa raised the alarm over fresh plans the All Progressives Congress to rig the rescheduled election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
The party also reiterated its earlier position that the same desperation of APC’s Timipre Sylva’s for power resulted in abuse of otherwise respectable federal institutions during the aborted election.
A statement issued by the Director of Publicity of the Restoration Campaign Organisation, Jonathan Obuebite, said the APC has still not learnt any lesson from the incident because “Sylva and others were hell-bent on using the same federal institutions like the military, police, INEC to rig the election in Southern Ijaw”.
While warning of its consequences, Obuebite stated that the PDP had uncovered fresh plans to rig at all cost even when it was glaring that there is no way the APC could possibly win going by the clear margin of win by the PDP, having won six out of the seven local governments declared so far and the fact that Southern Ijaw is stronghold of the PDP.
He berated Sylva and the APC “for doing everything to compromise the REC”, saying he did same with the military and police during the canceled election as desperate moves to win at all cost.
He drew attention to an interview by the state’s REC, Baritor Kpagih, which though did not mention any names but revealed that money was offered to him by “certain interests” to skew the governorship election in favour of their candidate and that his refusal to be bribed had pitted them against him, leading to name calling and threats to his life.
“My refusal had infuriated them and they started saying I had gone underground and all sorts of stories. People should not take election as a do-or-die affair. I told them I can’t help them to rig the election and that they should use the money they wanted to bribe me with to go to the grassroots and canvass for votes,” the REC had told the Guardian.
To this, Obuebite commended the courage of the REC, noting that even though he did not mention names, it was clear who he was referring to and that such revelations had justified PDP’s position that APC’s desperation for power had resulted in the destruction of respectable federal institutions such as the military, police, the presidency, INEC, EFCC and Judiciary in a bid to get power at all cost.
He stated: “APC have still not learnt their lessons as they are hell-bent on using the same federal institutions to rig the rescheduled Southern Ijaw election even when it is so glaring that there is no way the APC could possibly win. Sylva’s desperation to win at all cost even when the odds are clearly against him having been roundly rejected by the people is curious.”
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