Unlike past political campaigns, the campaigns for the forthcoming governorship election in Bayelsa State is intensely worrisome. The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are gradually spreading hate in their campaigns and encouraging disdain for flag bearers and loyalists.
The campaigns, as witnessed by political observers in the State, is already fanning the embers of war and unless something urgent is done, it may soon snowball into violent confrontations. A socio-political organisation, Ijaw Youths Democratic Association (IYDI), had raised the alarm that the APC in Bayelsa State is allegedly stockpiling weapons and recruiting cultists with a view to unleashing mayhem on innocent citizens to rig the forthcoming governorship election. The group also claimed that APC was plotting to use violence, intimidation and various federal agencies, including security personnel to rig the election. The IYDI, in a statement issued by its President, Ebifagha Timothy and and Secretary-General, Tilly Ekaunkumo, alleged that, the APC and its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, were neither campaigning nor setting up any machineries in motion, as a party about to go into an election as close as December 5. Sylva, through his campaign organization known as the Timipre Sylva Campaign Organisation accused the PDP’s candidate and state governor, Seriake Dickson, of sponsoring a media publication against the Party. Sylva alleged that the recent media report on a plot to arrest the APC state chairman, Mr. Tiwe Orunimighe is one of such many reports against the APC by the PDP. This followed reports by some news organs that Sylva was persuading the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to order Orunimighe’s arrest. The Sylva campaign said in a statement signed by Mr. Doifie Buokoribo described the publication as false and part of a reckless PDP campaign to interfere in the affairs of the APC because ruling party in the state does not have achievements to campaign with. The statement said, “Hon. Seriake Dickson and his party, Peoples Democratic Party, have since the beginning of the campaign for the December 5 governorship election become ruthless interfering busybodies in the affairs of the All Progressives Congress. “The fascination with APC and Chief Timipre Sylva is understandable, especially, for a governor who hardly has any achievements to point to after nearly four years in office. “For the avoidance of doubt, we want to state clearly that APC in Bayelsa State is united. We and, indeed, the people of Bayelsa, cannot be distracted by the campaign of calumny by a governor and his party that do not have any bankable attainments to share with the people in seeking their votes. We are presenting a united front, with the good people of the state, to accomplish the historic mission of ending PDP’s reign of underdevelopment on December 5. “As for the falsehood put out by Dickson and his party about the APC state chairman, any right-thinking person would know that the publication is a mere frivolity that exposes the distress of a sinking administration. First, in their haste to misinform, they confused the name of the Inspector General of Police, calling him “Sunday Arise” – instead of Solomon Arase. They also lied about the age of the deputy governorship candidate of APC, Elder Wilberforce Titus Igiri. We are at a loss how any responsible media organ could be used for such unimaginative campaign.” “Second, authors of the spurious publication alleged a letter to the Inspector General of Police but failed to make any specific reference in terms of the wordings of the said letter, date, and reference number. “These are necessary features that must authenticate formal communications with an officer of the Nigerian state as high in status as the IGP. We call on the IGP to quickly dissociate his name from this triviality being sown by Dickson and PDP in Bayelsa State.” But the Bayelsa State governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, in separate statements issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Daniel Markson-Iworiso and the Director of Publicity of his Campaign Organization, Hon. Jonathan Ogbeibite, dismissed the claim as, “waste of time.” While Iworiso-Markson said it was not true that the government was interfering in the affairs of the APC, Hon. Ogbeibite said the allegation by the APC is laughable. According to Markson-Iworiso, ”the state government would neither dissipate its energy nor waste its resources on APC because according to him Sylva was not an electable candidate. Sylva and the APC to look inwards and resolve their crisis instead of blaming a government that has no time for them. The truth is that the APC with its hands brought confusion and crisis into its fold. Instead of looking elsewhere to point accusing fingers, the party should be busy resolving fracas it created through fake promises and deceit’ Dickson’s campaign organization, headed by Ogbeibite, said the “orgy of violence and gangsterism that characterized the tenure of Sylva, the seeming suspicions of Bayelsans about his character and personality would make the APC look stupid when they begin their campaign as most communities where their terror machine once ravaged would reject them”. But the most vulnerable in the state women and children, have expressed their fears over the heated utterances between the APC and the PDP. The Women, drawn from various communities of the State, rose against all forms of electoral violence and intimidation ahead of the election. The women, mainly mothers, who spoke to journalists after their meeting in Yenagoa, the state capital, said they were apprehensive over the already existing political tension in the state ahead of the election. The worried women, who spoke under the auspices of Women of Excellence (WE), a socio-political group formed to create a level-playing field for every Bayelsa woman, said all parties for the election should adhere to the rules of engagement. The Coordinator, Mrs. Tari-Ere Gita said: “In recent past, Bayelsa State was smeared by violence, killings, kidnappings, cultism; state machineries were used to sponsor terrorism directed mostly at political opponents, and perceived enemies of friends of government. Many Bayelsans fled into exile in neighboring states and far-flung places”. Gita, however, enjoined all the parties to pursue peace and political tolerance insisting that the election must be held in an atmosphere of civility, law and order. Gita however called on politicians to desist from heating up the polity and asked security agencies to ensure protection of lives and property before, during and after the election. She urged security agencies to arrest and deal with anybody promoting violence in the state,”We call on the President Muhammad Buhari to direct all relevant security agencies to ensure that Bayelsans are spared the anguish of political violence and wanton destruction of lives and property. “Mr. President must not be seen to encourage or tactically support electoral violence, and must therefore take appropriate steps to ensure that the election is free and fair. INEC should ensure that the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa State are held in accordance with law and in line with international electoral best practices. “To our women, our aged citizens and the physically challenged, we say come out and decide your future on the 5th of December, 2015, to our youth we say shun violence”, she said.
Source: Leadership Newspaper
