Indications have emerged of a fresh plot by a former governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and Minister of Defence, Mohammed Dan Ali, to rig the rerun election in Southern Ijaw LGA the Bayelsa state governorship decider.
The Coordinator of Peoples Democratic Governors Forum, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, raised the alarm in a statement issued on Friday, December 11, 2015 night in Yenagoa.
He alleged that Amaechi and Dan Ali had met in Abuja within the week to perfect ways to rig the poll in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Timipre Sylva who trails behind incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson in results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, the APC remains desperate in its bid to capture the oil-rich state, which he said fits into suggestion by Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State who it was claimed said that all oil-producing states should be taken over by the ruling APC in the interest of national security.
The statement reads: “It is on good authority that the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi has held two meetings with Mohammed Dan Ali, Minister of Defence, on how the military can once again be used to intimidate voters and rig the Bayelsa poll for the APC in Southern Ijaw local government in the rerun election for the Bayelsa governorship.
“It would be recalled that the PDP Governors Forum had raised alarm before the inconclusive poll that there were plans by the APC to camouflage as the military to abuse the process in their desperation to capture oil-producing states under the PDP.
“Today we have been vindicated by several reports of independent observers and the bold move by the INEC to reject Southern Ijaw local government poll.
“From what we know, the threat to use the military to perpetrate heist of the mandate of the electorate of Southern Ijaw and by extension all Bayelsans still remains as Ministers Amaechi and Dan Ali remain the arrow head of the planned theft of the votes of Bayelsa people through intimidation, fake military personnel and doctored voters cards manufactured in Port Harcourt by Indian IT mercenaries imported by the APC.”
Onaiwu urged security agencies to remain impartial, non-partisan and called on the people to once again reject any attempt by any group or individuals to hijack their inalienable right to decide who to govern them as they did the last time.
