The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and Minister of Defence, Mohammed Dan Ali, have been accused of currently planning to rig the Southern Ijaw Local Government re-run election in Bayelsa State.
The Coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, Osaro Onaiwu, gave the alert in a statement issued in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
In the statement, Onaiwu alleged that Amaechi and Ali met in Abuja during the week to perfect ways to sway the election in favour of the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva.
The result so far announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission has Sylva trailing behind the incumbent and candidate of the PDP, Seriake Dickson.
With Dickson claiming six of the seven local government areas announced so far by INEC, the result from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area which is Slyva’s stronghold is believed to change things in his favour.
Onaiwu, stated that APC is in a desperate bid to capture the oil-rich state, which is in line with the suggestion by Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal who said all oil-producing states should be taken over by the APC in the interest of national security.
The statement reads: “It is on good authority that the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi has held two meetings with Mohammed Dan Ali, Minister of Defence, on how the military can once again be used to intimidate voters and rig the Bayelsa poll for the APC in Southern Ijaw local government in the rerun election for the Bayelsa governorship.
“It would be recalled that the PDP Governors Forum had raised alarm before the inconclusive poll that there were plans by the APC to camouflage as the military to abuse the process in their desperation to capture oil-producing states under the PDP.
“Today we have been vindicated by several reports of independent observers and the bold move by the INEC to reject Southern Ijaw local government poll.
“From what we know, the threat to use the military to perpetrate heist of the mandate of the electorate of Southern Ijaw and by extension all Bayelsans still remains as Ministers Amaechi and Dan Ali remain the arrow head of the planned theft of the votes of Bayelsa people through intimidation, fake military personnel and doctored voters cards manufactured in Port Harcourt by Indian IT mercenaries imported by the APC.”
While urging security agencies to remain impartial, non-partisan, Onaiwu called on people of the state to reject any attempt by any group or individuals to hijack their right, and vote for the candidate of their choice.
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