TheCable

Timipre Sylva, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the December governorship election, has accused Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state, of destabilising his party.

Sylva alleged that Dickson was using moles in the APC to cause internal disaffection and blackmail leaders of the party in Bayelsa.

He said rather than focus on governance after being “awarded victory” in the election, Dickson was busy circulating falsehood against him.

“Of late, Dickson and his party, Peoples Democratic Party, have re-enacted their pastime of spreading falsehood about APC and its leaders in Bayelsa State and trying to create dissension where none exists,” Sylva said in a statement issued on his behalf by Doifie Buokoribo, his spokesman.

“They have now procured the services of some discredited officials of APC, who were suspended recently. These renegades are being used by Dickson and PDP to spread wild, unsubstantiated allegations against Sylva and the minister of state for agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

“Fabricating stories about Sylva and APC has proved to be more than just a passing fad for Dickson. It has become policy – the only ostensible policy of the administration since his swearing in. The latest email from Dickson’s media aide, Daniel Markson ([email protected]), to some reporters last Sunday, 3 April at 16:24 hours, clearly show how the Dickson government throws caution to the wind in its haste to blackmail APC.

“They had tried that before and during the last governorship election in the state. When they failed miserably, they turned to forces external to Bayelsa, but inside the election management body and armed militia community, which they used to steal the people’s votes.

“After he was awarded victory, one would have thought that a man who ‘won’ election would concentrate on governance. But Dickson would not. Living under the shadow of fear of losing the stolen mandate, since APC filed a petition at the election tribunal, Dickson has applied every available mischief to try to destabilise the party and blackmail its leaders.

“Dickson has since being awarded victory at the governorship election manifested understandable nervousness on the governorship seat. But there should be a limit to anxiety. He should stop his mission in futility and await the outcome of the electoral courts. Neither his nervousness nor his current mischievous publications can stop the wind of justice that is about to blow him out of his usurped seat.”