Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, has accused the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11, 2023 governorship poll in the state, Timipre Sylva, of being behind electoral violence recorded in the Nembe-Bassambiri area of the state.
Diri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the poll, is seeking re-election for another four years in office. He spoke on Saturday after he cast his vote in the poll.
The governor alleged that “Timipre Sylva has been violent in every election”.
“We have been raising the issue of the violent character and person of Timipre Sylva. Over the years, in every election he is involved in, you experience violence, you experience lawlessness, and even in Nembe-Bassambiri, the name and the character behind what is happening in Nembe-Bassambiri is Timipre Sylva,” Diri said.
Sylva was first Bayelsa governor from May 2007 to April 2008 and later between May 2008 and January 2012. He was also the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources from 2019 to 2023.
‘Election Process Seamless, Fast’
Meanwhile, Diri commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a “seamless” and “very fast” election, saying “this is an improvement on all the other elections.
“I want to believe that INEC is improving on not only its facilities but the training of its personnel,” the governor said.
“I am very satisfied with the process and the personnel handling the process.”
The PDP candidate, however, expressed concerns over the situation in Nembe-Bassambiri where he said some of his partymen were disenfranchised.
“We have concerns about Nembe-Bassambiri where party members most of whom have been excluded, and agents have been stopped from going into Nembe-Bassambiri. That is a very serious concern. The Party has written an official letter to the chairman of INEC and INEC has to take drastic measures to allow our people to vote,” he said.
Diri called for “a free, fair process where the BVAS should be used just as I have done here today. Let the accreditation be by the BVAS in Nembe-Bassambiri.
“Special attention has to be taken in Nembe-Bassambiri because everything points to the fact that in Nembe PDP members are chased out of their community.”
