Bayelsa APC accuses National Leaders of negligence, cries for help

Bayelsa APC accuses National leaders of negligence, cries for help

Following the outcome of the recent Governorship election in Bayelsa State, a group under the aegis of Concerned Bayelsa APC has accused the National leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its alleged negligence of the State chapter of the party.

Addressing journalists on Friday at the National Secretariat of the party, Abuja, the Spokesperson of the group, Dr. Otiti Vivacious said the “Bayelsa State APC can no longer be the sacrificial lamb”

The group berated the manner at which the election was conducted, describing it as a “brazen electoral heist perpetrated against our governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, his running mate, Great Joshua Maciver and the entire APC family in the state in the 11th November 2023 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.”

Otiti further accused Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) of subverting the will of the people and urged the APC national leaders to come to their rescue.

“We state unequivocally our utter shock, disgust, and disappointment at the audacious compromise and subversion of the will of the people of Bayelsa State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in its bold-faced cancellation of a whooping 84,806 votes scored by our great party, the APC in the above-mentioned election. 

“Despite employing underhand tactics by unleashing wanton violence on members of our party in the lead-up to the election and during the election as well as emptying the treasury of the state to engage in unbridled vote buying which commenced weeks before the election, the people of Bayelsa State still rejected the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Douye Diri, and instead opted to vote overwhelmingly for our party’s candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva and his running mate Great Joshua Maciver.

“Unfortunately, and rather sadly, INEC abandoned its role as an unbiased umpire as it was given cover by security operatives to perpetrate an electoral heist of monumental proportion against our great party and the people of Bayelsa State.” Otiti lamented.

He stated that the State chapter of the party is not getting support as expected from the national level at a time it needed it the most.

“We find it strange and curious that our party’s candidate was left in the lurch by the party at the national level at a time he needed the support of the party the most, and are therefore inclined to believe that the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC has once again been used as a sacrificial lamb to satisfy some vested interests without any consideration for the party’s teeming members and supporters who have worked assiduously and at great cost for our party’s victory. 

“If the Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) wasn’t sacrificed to please some vested interests, how do we explain the audacious cancellation of results in areas such as Ogbia, Nembe, Brass, and Southern Ijaw L.G.As where our great party had a clear lead until the unfathomable happened, with the INEC jettisoning the respective collation centres where the results ought to have been declared and moved the collation of results to the state collation centre in Yenagoa, the state capital where results already declared at polling units with our party in clear lead were cancelled in flagrant contravention of Section 51 of the Electoral Act, 2022? 

“Meanwhile, results in Gov. Douye Diri’s stronghold of Sagbama, Kolokuma/Okpokuma, and Ekeremor were allowed to be collated at their respective local governments area collation centres. We also saw the cancellation of results in other places where the APC were in clear lead across the state thus exposing the deep-seated conspiracy to deny us victory.” He said

Otiti specially expressed his displeasure on a recent statement credited to the National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje where he said “We lost the election in Bayelsa, and we have conceded in good faith. You directed that the elections should be free, fair, and peaceful, and it was so.”

He noted that Ganduje statement does not in any way represent the interest of the State chapter of the party as they believe they were robbed of the mandate.

“Mr. Chairman, sir, we make bold to say the governorship election in Bayelsa State was neither free nor fair as it was characterized by intimidation, violence, and manipulation of results in favour of the PDP. We therefore, with profound respect, beg to differ with your position on the Bayelsa State governorship election

“We, therefore, humbly, and passionately appeal that the party spares nothing at ensuring that the stolen mandate freely given to our party’s governorship candidate and his running mate is duly restored as we can no longer afford to be the sacrificial lamb in every governorship election.”

The spokesperson for the group concluded by demanding that members of the party found guilty of anti-party activities should be brought to book.

“We also demand that all members of the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC who are known to have engaged in anti-party activities during this election be severely sanctioned to serve as a deterrent otherwise we may just have successfully legitimized anti-party activities in the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC. 

“It was George Washington that said, “Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.” We believe strongly that wielding the big stick against party stalwarts who worked against the success of our great party is needed to save the Bayelsa State Chapter of the APC from disintegration and we implore you not to shy away from doing the needful in this instance.

“It is our earnest hope that these concerns we have raised, as well as the demands we have made, shall be accorded priority attention by our great party under your experiential leadership.”