By Udesinanna Stephen
In respect to the 2023 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election scheduled for 11 November 2023, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP has alleged that the All Progressived Congress, APC Governorship candidate of Bayelsa, Chief Timipre Sylva, recruited, sponsored and armed thugs to invade and kill citizens in the state.
The ruling party made this known in a Press Conference at its Secretariat, addressed by the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba.
As obtained from the PDP Twitter handle @OfficialPDPNig, the Party contended that the intention of the APC in the invasion and killing in Nembe, Bayelsa is to intimidate and instil fear in the people to prevent them from freely exercising their democratic right to vote for a governor of their choice.
The statement partly reads, “The PDP in the strongest term condemns the invasion, killing and maiming of innocent citizens in Bayelsa State communities particularly Opu-Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area by thugs allegedly “recruited, sponsored and armed by Chief Timipre Sylva.”
“Gentlemen of the Press, we have called you today to alert Nigerians and the International community of the All Progressives Congress (APC) resort to violent attacks on communities in Bayelsa State for rejecting its candidate in the November 11, 2023 Governorship election, the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva,” PDP alleges.
“It is clear that the intention of the APC in this invasion and killing in Nembe is to intimidate and instill fear in the people to prevent them from freely exercising their democratic right to vote for a governor of their choice, having realized that there is no way their candidate, Timipre Sylva, can win in a peaceful, free and fair election in Bayelsa State.”