The Sylva/ Igiri campaign organisation (SICO) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Bayelsa Restoration Campaign Organisation (BYRCO) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have again traded words over alleged harbouring of suspected thugs in Bayelsa Government House and plot to rig the December 5th governorship elections.
The APC said it has uncovered plans by the PDP to unleash violence before, during and after the December 5 governorship election in the state.
The Director of Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba in a statement alleged that mastermind of the killing of Mr Andrew June, an APC stalwart in Ekeremor local government area is being given refuge in the Government House.
Egba who also alleged that political thugs have been imported from neighbouring states expressed worry that PDP agents in Bayelsa communities are busy buying up Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) of unsuspecting residents.
According to him, the party said it is raising the issues to alert the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspector-General of Police to take action and stop the PDP from throwing Bayelsa into crisis.
The statement reads in part “Information at our disposal indicates that the PDP has imported some fierce looking thugs from nearby states, who were driven into the state in Coaster buses, escorted by a detachment of Security men attached to Government House, Yenagoa.
These thugs are to wear the police and military uniforms being sewn in the Government House guest houses as we already alerted the security operatives about it an earlier press Statement.
“In the light of the above, we are still calling on the Security agencies to probe these allegations and get to the root of the matter in order to forestall violence and protect the integrity of the forth-coming election.
“By far the most worrying development is the PDP Campaign team’s penchant for collecting innocent rural dwellers Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC), on payment of One thousand naira or less in some cases.”
In a swift reaction, BYRCO said APC allegations are tissues of lies which should be disregarded.
The Director of Publicity of BYRCO, Hon Jonathan Obuebite in a statement said APC’s claim was an after thought after exposing its plan to rig the election by sewing army and police uniforms to be given to thugs on election day to intimidate voters or hijack electoral materials.
“We are happy this issue is raised again and a challenge to the security agencies to deal ruthlessly with any fake individuals in army or police uniform on election- day.”
We exposed this plot by the APC at our press conference two week ago and we stand by our allegations. But the APC now wants to pretend otherwise which exposes their usual tricks. It’s all a bunch of lies.
