A group under the aegis of Bayelsa Votes has exposed an alleged plan by the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use federal funds allocated to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to influence the voting pattern in the December 5, 2015 governorship election in the state in favour of the APC candidate, Timipre Sylva.
The group’s coordinator, Mr. Thomas Dokubo, who made the allegation yesterday, said the APC sees itself as being indebted to Sylva owing to the financial role he played in the election of President Muhammadu Buhari, hence the plan to ensure he wins by all means is a way of rewarding him.
“Only recently, there was a presidential directive to the NDDC to award some juicy contracts to some companies owned by Timipre Sylva, with upfront payments. We view the latest action of the APC-led government as an attempt to subvert our fledgling democracy.
“From all indications, the major preoccupation of government at centre for now is how capture the PDP controlled states by all means, not minding the implication of such desperation on a democracy”, Dokubo alleged.
The Bayelsa Votes also advised President Buhari to shun any attempt by his party to use federal might to abuse national institutions with the intent to deploy security operatives to intimidate and harass ordinary citizens of Bayelsa State before and during the governorship election in the state.
It further reiterated its resolve to protect the nation’s democracy in defense of free, fair and credible elections, stressing the next governor of Bayelsa State would only emerged through a process to be determined by the electorate at the polls.
