Politics
Bayelsa Guber: Dickson, Sylva Share Opposing Views
L-R: APC National Auditor, Chief George Moghalu, APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun and Deputy Chairman, Chief Segun Oni, during the National Chairman’s interactive session with journalisist in Abuja on Wednesday.
The incumbent Governor
of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lauded the cancellation of the poll in the area while the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate Timipre Sylva described as disappointing the cancellation of Sunday’s rescheduled poll in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
Sylva described INEC’s decision as a rape of democracy, stressing that he will not accept the cancellation.
According to him, ”We reject it completely. First and foremost, the Resident Electoral Commissioner has no powers to cancel an election which had duly taken place. It is only the Returning Officer that has powers to announce a cancellation or any other thing relating to an election such as this”.
“We had an election on Saturday. In Ekeremor, there was widespread shooting and they beat up a lot of APC members. The home of the Minister of State for Agriculture was under siege; his house was under fire for a long time. I had to call for re-enforcement before they could subdue the assailants in the morning.
“The assailants retreated and returned again in the evening but elections still held in Ekeremor that same day and returns were made. When APC protested, our protests were set aside and the elections were upheld because of one thing, because PDP won. If the APC had won, of course, the elections would probably have been set aside. They just put the figures together and submitted the figures and our protests died like a candle in the wind.
“In Sagbama, we did not see the electoral materials at all. Thugs besieged the local government. A top APC leader is today lying critically ill in the hospital with a broken arm he sustained running away from assailants. They held elections, of course nobody saw the materials and they just filled out the figures and submitted. The APC protested vehemently. Nobody heard our protests, elections were upheld.
“In Nembe Local Government Area, where the APC won clearly, they quickly cancelled two wards and re-conducted those elections on Sunday. On Sunday, no APC member saw any paper or anything at all relating to that election but votes were returned. We protested, our protests were rejected because the PDP won. If you look through, this election ab initio apparently, was set up for the PDP to win but we didn’t want to shout because we are a responsible party.
The Tide learnt that with the results from seven local government areas so far announced by the electoral umpire, Seriake is being trailed by his All Progressives Congress (APC) challenger, Timipre Sylva.
Dickson scored 105,745 votes against Sylva’s 72,594. The PDP flag bearer, who was leading his closest rival with 35, 154 votes before INEC declared the process inconclusive on Monday, tried to stop the election in the disputed council area, but failed.
The PDP applauded the cancellation of the Southern Ijaw election, which it described as a vindication of its earlier position that the commission erred by going ahead with the poll despite security concerns in the area.
In a statement by the Publicity Director of the Restoration Campaign Organisation, Jonathan Obuebite, the PDP said before the election was conducted, it had informed the electoral body and security authorities that the whole of Southern Ijaw had been taken over by thugs and criminal elements.
Obuebite stated that the PDP was for a free, fair and credible election and as such, election in Southern Ijaw must be conducted in an atmosphere that could guarantee the participation of the people.
He noted that as at 4pm on Sunday, election materials were still being distributed and wondered how such process could lead to a transparent election. He added that it was an orchestrated plan to rig the election as voting went on in the dead of the night.
He said the situation also afforded political thugs to infiltrate the polling units, snatching ballot boxes and intimidating voters under the close supervision of the military operatives.
Obuebite said the whole process was marred by apathy due largely to the wanton violence and mayhem unleashed by thugs and militants. The PDP accused INEC, the police and army of colluding with the APC to rig the election.
He said: “Before now, we knew that the SGF was coordinating the whole rigging plan and we alerted President Muhammadu Buhari and the public.They know they cannot win without rigging through violence and the whole world has seen what happened on Sunday. It was a rape of democracy.
“There was a premeditated effort on a multiple level of conspiracy to rig this election involving INEC, army and the police.
Accordingg to the statement, the Board and National Executive Committee of PANDEF, noted with very grave concern the recent spate of political developments in Rivers State.
“Regrettably, these developments have now degenerated into the decision of the Rivers State House of Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor and deputy governor.
“This is a deeply disturbing situation that demands urgent attention in order to forestall further escalation and breakdown of law and order.
“This concern is heightened by the critical importance and strategic centrality of Rivers to the Niger Delta region and to the broader socio-political stability and economic wellbeing of Nigeria as a whole”, the statement said.
The Forum called on all parties involved in the resurgent political imbroglio to sheathe their swords and embrace peace.
“This should be guided by the principles of give-and-take, dialogue, tolerance, and political equanimity.
“All stakeholders must place paramount importance on peace, development and the welfare of the people of Rivers.
“We must now focus squarely on good governance and development of the state,” the Forum said.
PANDEF commended President Bola Tinubu, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), respected elders of Rivers State, and other well-meaning Nigerians for their previous and ongoing efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in the state.
Speaking in an interview on Saturday, January 10, Chief Sara-Igbe alleged that the minister had flouted regulations governing the commencement of electioneering campaigns by moving from one local government area to another to galvanise political support.
According to him, the action amounted to a clear breach of electoral guidelines being carried out with a troubling sense of impunity that could undermine the rule of law.
“Wike has violated the electoral laws of campaigning by going from local government to local government to talk to the people. He travelled from one local government to another. As a result of his visits to local government areas, he has broken election regulations and continues to do all these things without fear of repercussions”, Chief Sara-Igbe said.
The remarks came as Chief Wike was set to round off a state-wide “thank-you” tour that covered all 23 local government areas of Rivers State.
Although the minister had described the tour as an appreciation visit following support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 general elections, critics say the engagements have assumed an overtly political character.
Observers note that during several stops, including recent visits to Andoni and Bonny local government areas, the minister rallied supporters across party lines under what he termed a “Rainbow Coalition,” a move widely interpreted as part of a broader political strategy.
During these engagements, Chief Wike was also reported to have made remarks perceived as a veiled challenge to the authority of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, while repeatedly referencing the 2027 elections and urging supporters to prepare to “correct the mistake” of 2023.
Chief Sara-Igbe warned that allowing such activities to continue unchecked could erode public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process and called on relevant authorities to enforce existing laws without fear or favour.
The Commission, in a statement on Wednesday, claimed that there were plans by the same group to escalate a smear campaign against its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, to frustrate ongoing investigations and prosecutions involving prominent individuals.
The statement endorsed by the agency’s spokesman, Mr Dele Oyewale, claimed that the action was intended to distract the Commission through unfounded allegations of political bias in the discharge of its duties.
The EFCC warned that it would not stand by and watch “those recruited into this ignoble enterprise” or allow any attempt to derail it from “the patriotic task of improving public accountability in Nigeria.”
The Commission made it clear that those recruited into this venture were under close watch, adding that it would not tolerate any attempt to distract it from the patriotic task of improving public accountability in Nigeria.
“The EFCC reiterates its non-political stance in all its activities. Facts on the ground clearly show that any political actor belonging to the ruling party or opposition party, with corruption baggage, has no hiding place from the operational radar and dynamics of the Commission.
“As a matter of fact, several strong members of the ruling and opposition parties are either facing trial before the courts or being investigated by the Commission.
“It is needful that Nigerians appreciate the fact that the Commission is keeping faith with its Establishment Act in all its operations.
“Therefore, the Commission reiterates its commitment to justice, without fear or favour, in the fulfilment of its mandate,” the statement pointed out.