Bayelsa gov poll: Uncertainty as PDP claims victory

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against announcing any ‘cooke-up’ result coming from Southern Ijaw area, which does not reflect the wishes and aspiration of the people, just as it claimed to have won the Bayelsa state governorship election.

The PDP, which gave the warning in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, also warned 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.

The opposition party alleged that intelligence information reaching it shows that President Buhari was neck-deep in APC’s alleged desperation to forcefully take over Bayelsa state, for which he had allegedly directed a covert military and other security operations to assist his party to rig an election, which it claimed has already been won by the PDP. The PDP said, “At the head of this illegal military operation is one Capt. (Name withheld), 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”, it said.