The Restoration Campaign Organization, an organ of the Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State has expressed dismay over a letter written by the candidate of the All Progressives (APC) candidate in the December 5 election, Chief Timipre Sylva, to the Independent National Electoral Commission, describing it as mischievous.
The group urged Sylva to stop what it calls his “jejune political vituperations” and wake up to the reality that “he cannot be governor as the people have decided.”
In the said letter copied to the Attorney-General of he Federation and Minister of Justice, Sylva requested that results from the Southern Ijaw LGA should be cancelled and he be declared winner.
He reportedly told the commission to “in the interest of equity, fair-play and justice,” cancel the elections in Ekeremor and Sagbama LGAs, wards 4 and 5 of Yenagoa and wards 8, 9 and 10 of Nembe LGAs.
The RCO in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Jonathan Obuebite, said the letter was written against the will of the people.
He said, “after carefully studying the letter, we have come to the conclusion that it was written with mischief and intended to put INEC in a position to subvert the will of the people as expressed in the December 5 election.
“Why is Sylva in one breath saying INEC lacks powers to cancel an election and on the other hand requesting the cancellation of elections in Ekeremor and Sagbama LGAs, ward 4 and 5 of Yenagoa and wards 8, 9 and 10 of Nembe LGAs?
“Why didn’t Sylva request the cancellation of elections in Brass where he and his army of hoodlums went on rampage and turned democracy to something else? Is it not shameful that Sylva is only relying on Southern Ijaw LGA to be declared winner when out of seven LGAs, he could only manage with the help of thugs and other electoral criminals win one LG (Brass)?
“Why is Sylva afraid to be part of a rescheduled election in Southern Ijaw if truly he knows he is popular and on ground there to win the votes of the people? What is Sylva doing moving from one office to the other in Abuja holding nocturnal meetings and begging anyone who he thinks hold the ace to help him become governor again, rather than staying back in Bayelsa to reach out to the people of Southern Ijaw and see if he can manage to get at least ten percent of the votes in the rescheduled election?”
The RCO said it had decided to put the questions forward to let the world know how desperate Sylva had become.
Obuebite said, “We also wish to remind him that INEC has the power to cancel an election and fix a new date, especially when it has sufficient prove of some wrongs in that election like that of Southern Ijaw.
“In case the APC candidate has forgotten, some elections in the country like that of Imo, Anambara and of recent Kogi were declared inconclusive and a new date set which eventually produced a winner.
“However in all of these, we urge Sylva to stop his jejune political vituperations and wake up to the reality that he cannot be governor as the people have decided. We are going to defeat him all round in Southern Ijaw when the election there holds. Our conviction is that Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, our enviable candidate has done so much for the people of Southern Ijaw and that is why they love him and are ready to return him.”
(DAILY SUN)
