Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Bayelsans to be wary of fake news ahead of the 2019 elections.
The party in statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, which felicitated with the people of the state in New Year, wished Bayelsans the best in their “traditionally-lofty endeavours” in 2019.
It, however, warned the residents to be wary of fake news, innuendos, and propaganda intentionally designed by those it called “enemies of peace and democracy” to cause disaffection among the people for selfish political purposes.
According to him some powerful politicians in the state had concluded plans to launch a campaign of calumny in a bid to discredit the APC and its candidates ahead the 2019 elections.
The statement reads in part: “You have shown outstanding civility, remaining peaceful, despite living under a state government and party that all too often, run riot with power, looting and assaulting democratic freedoms and values, and spreading pain.
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“APC salutes the resilience of the Bayelsan masses in the face of the myriad, but very avoidable, socio-economic challenges. May we also use this medium to warn the people of the state to be wary, as some powerful individuals in the state, with their acolytes outside, have concluded a plot to launch a campaign of fake news and disinformation intended to cause disaffection among the people and try to discredit some of our finest leaders to criminally perpetual themselves and their cronies in power.
“Information at our disposal has revealed how these enemies of our people and democracy have planned to use both formal and informal news channels, as well as traditional and new media to create, present, and disseminate their wicked falsehoods and conjectures.”
On the 2019 elections the party urged Bayelsans to embrace the wind of change blowing across the country and “in the best interest of our people” cast their votes for the party that has hope, the APC.
It called on the people of Bayelsa State to vote the APC Presidential Candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, and others carrying our party’s flag for the various elective offices in the 2019 general elections.
The party appealed to Bayelsans to use their votes “this February and March to leave retrogression and change to the next level of progress with the rest of Nigeria.”