‘Steer Clear Of Bayelsa Governorship Election’, PDP Tells Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) forewarns President Muhammadu Buhari
to steer clear of Bayelsa governorship election and allow the will of
the people to prevail, if he really desires to sustain the nation’s
democracy.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on
Sunday said intelligence information reaching the party shows that
President Buhari is neck-deep in APC’s desperation to forcefully take
over Bayelsa state, for which he has directed a covert military and
other security operations to assist the APC to rig the election, which
has already been won by the PDP.

“At the head of this illegal military operation is one Capt. Louis, who
led the hijacking of elections in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area,
the largest in the state. Military personnel have seized ballot
materials including result sheets in Igbematiru, Peremabiri, ward 3,
ward 6, ward 8, ward 12, ward 13 and ward 15, which they took to
Ologbobiri in military gunboats, where massive thumb-printing is going
on in favour of the APC. In Ward 7 Ekowe, the military hijacked and
destroyed voting materials.

“During this operation, the ruthless personnel manhandled NYSC members
serving as adhoc electoral officers, some of whom were thrown into the
water and would have drowned if not for well-meaning Nigerians who
rescued them.

“The PDP therefore states that the political development in Southern
Ijaw is the worst in Nigeria’s electoral history and is no different
from the military coup of December 31, 1983.

“Furthermore, we are aware that the on-going operation is intended to
inflate figures in favor of the APC and cancel PDP’s obvious victory in
this election. We therefore expect that INEC should not announce any
cooked-up result coming from Southern Ijaw, which does not reflect the
wishes and aspiration of the people.

Signed:

Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary