APC not ready for free, fair poll, alleges Diri

Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

 

THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not ready for a peaceful election.

Diri, who spoke in Yenagoa when he received a delegation of the British High Commission and the US Embassy, said the recent activities of the opposition party and their continual boasts and threats to PDP supporters were indications of their plot to compromise the election.

He said the PDP was firmly rooted in Bayelsa State and would not need to engage in violence to win the November 16 election.

Diri said: “We don’t want violence. Election is not war, you don’t need guns. We are ready for a peaceful, free and fair election, unlike our main opponent. APC is not ready for election. They are banking on violence, they want to use federal might, military and police. They are planning to write the results.

“We are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agents to remain neutral in the election. INEC must help Nigerian democracy to grow. The Osun and Kano elections are still fresh in our memory. PDP clearly won those elections, but for the inconclusiveness introduced by INEC to give victory to the APC.

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“Bayelsa is PDP. We have 19 members out of 24 in the House of Assembly. We have 105 councillors, eight elected local government chairmen. Even the Senate seat APC won in the last election is compromised. We all know what they did, including the two seats in the House of Representatives in Brass/Nembe and Southern Ijaw. That is not democracy.”

The PDP candidate appealed to the two international bodies to beam their searchlight on the conduct of the November 16 election.

The US Consul-General, Claire Pierangelo and leader of the British High Commission team, Sarabjit Singh, said that they were in the state to advocate a peaceful election by meeting the leading candidates.