THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State has raised the alarm over the energetic efforts of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election, Chief Timipre Sylva to destroy the image of vital agencies of the state.
The party in a statement, signed by its chairman, Deacon Moses Cleopas and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, explained that Sylva was using some powerful members of APC to blackmail members of the Election Petition Tribunal.
Sylva was said to have accused the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal of compromising their position, and also claimed that Governor Henry Seriake Dickson was influencing the tribunal.
But Cleopas in the statement described Sylva as a serial complainant, pointing out that he had in the past also accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Independent National Electoral Commission of accepting bribes from the governor during the election.
The party recalled how Sylva had accused various Police Commissioners and Directors of the Department of State Services (DSS) of having close relationship with Dickson, which led to the transfer of four different police commissioners and Directors DSS prior to the election, and in-between the December 5 and January 9 elections in the state.
The Bayelsa PDP described Sylva’s remarks as “those of a drowning man who does not have a case to prove at the tribunal and knowing that defeat is staring him in the face, wants to resort to his trademark style of accusing very important state institutions.”
The statement noted that Sylva was roundly defeated at the elections as Bayelsans voted massively for the candidate and party of their choice, which was Hon. Dickson and the PDP, adding that every clandestine move to subvert the will of the people would fail.
It reaffirmed the faith of PDP in the judiciary, adding that their impeccable integrity was at stake, and should not therefore compromise it for a man whose antecedent they knew very well.
The statement recalled that during the PDP state congress held a fortnight ago, Dickson during his speech remarked: “The victory of the PDP in the last governorship election is not on trial, as our victory was clear and transparent. What is on trial is the nation’s judiciary, nature and integrity of the Nigerian State and the individual consciences of the judges who are sitting and all the judges who will sit on the matter.”
Dickson in his speech had also advised judges at the election tribunal not to be influenced by political desperados who fraudulently won only one local government in the election.