Dickson Storms INEC Collation Centre, Southern Ijaw
The Governor of Bayelsa State and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, Sunday morning, reportedly forced his way into the collation centre of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Onopa, Yenagoa LGA.
The Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation (SICO) said Dickon stormed the place at about 11pm Saturday night and threatened to ‘deal seriously’ with agents of the APC, Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, former Deputy Governor and Mr. Fortune Panebi, State Publicity Secretary of the APC.
SICO’s Director, Media and Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba said the action of Dickson was clearly against the electoral law as he had no authority as a candidate to go to the Yenagoa Collation Centre especially as he was not from the LGA.
He alleged that the governor, who threatened to deal with the two APC agents, was at the collation centre to manipulate results being collated from different wards in Yenagoa.
He said: “The APC agents were said to have countered the moves by the PDP to manipulate the results that had been turned-in before some aides to the Governor alerted him of the developments at the Yenagoa Collation centre.
“The APC decided to raise the alarm and place the information in the public domain as the Governor’s desperation in the face of imminent defeat is such that he is ready all electoral laws”, he said.
He said fresh reports further indicated that the governor early morning in Sunday led a large delegation to Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, to protest against the rescheduled election.
He said: “Governor Dickson is from Sagbama Local Government Area and has no basis going to monitor conduct of an election in another Local Government Area on an election day in line with the electoral guidelines.
“This is clearly an act of desperation by the Governor, who is the candidate of the PDP in the election.
“Dickson, in company of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Kombowei Benson, who is from the LGA reportedly met with INEC officials on the ground and told them not to go ahead with the poll.
“The INEC officials had reportedly told the Governor, he had no powers to stop the election.
“Governor Dickson was the chief sponsor of violent attacks in most of the communities.”
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