Election Tribunal: Stop blackmailing judiciary, PDP tells Sylva
Ajigi Olatomiwa
The main opposition in Nigeria, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State has raised the alarm over attitude of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election, Chief Timipre Sylva to destroy the image of vital agencies of the state.
The government in a statement issued on Saturday in Yenagoa explained that Sylva was using some powerful members of APC to blackmail Judges of the Election Petition Tribunal.
According to the party chairman, Deacon Moses Cleopas in the release, Sylva was said to have accused the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal of compromising their position, insisting that Governor Henry Seriake Dickson was influencing the tribunal
Cleopas described Sylva as a serial liar and complainant, pointing out that he had acted irresponsibly in the past by accusing the Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Independent National Electoral Commission of accepting bribes from the governor during the election.
The statement also recalled how Chief Timipre Sylva had accused various police commissioners and Directors of the Department State Service (DSS) of their close relationship with Dickson, which led to the transfer of four different police commissioners and Directors DSS prior to the election and in-between the December 5 and January 9 elections in the state.
The Bayelsa PDP described Sylva’s remark as “those of a drowning man who does not have a case to prove at the tribunal and knowing that, defeat is staring him in the face, wants to resort to his trademark style of accusing very important state institution.”
The statement notes that Sylva was roundly defeated at the elections as Bayelsans voted massively for the candidate and party of their choice, which was Hon. Dickson and the PDP, adding that every clandestine move to subvert the will of the people will fail.
Cleopas reaffirmed the faith of PDP in the judiciary, adding that their impeccable integrity was at stake and should not therefore compromise it for a man whose antecedent they know very well.
He recalled that during the PDP state congress which held a fortnight ago, Dickson during his speech gave a remark that “the victory of the PDP in the last governorship election is not on trial, as our victory was clear and transparent.”
The governor had said that “what is on trial is the nation’s judiciary, nature and integrity of the Nigerian State and the individual consciences of the judges who are sitting and all the judges who will sit on the matter.”
Dickson had also advised judges at the election tribunal not to be influenced by political desperados who fraudulently only won one local government in the election.
Cleopas advised Sylva not to “waste his time and money blackmailing people who already knows that his case is not only watery but lacks substance.”
Sylva should rather look for means of getting federal appointment as his colleagues have done and move on with his life. It is said in law, “res ipsa loquitur” (the fact speaks for itself).”
