Sylva Has Been A Violent Person – Bayelsa PDP Candidate, Douye Diri Says After Voting

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the off-cycle governorship election in Bayelsa State, Governor Douye Diri, has voted at his polling unit.

Naija News understands that the incumbent governor arrived at the polling unit a few minutes before 9 a.m. and immediately went through the voting process.

“There is an improvement in this election than all other elections. Very seeming less,” Diri said after voting at Kalamaowei-Wari Unit 4 Ward 6 Sampou in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA.

He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor expressed his satisfaction with the personnel handling the process. He, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the events happening in Nembe, a region known for troubles. According to him, PDP members have been chased out of their community.

Diri begged the security agencies to attend to the issues in the troublesome region.

Also, the PDP candidate accused his major opponent, a former state governor, Timipre Sylva, of being troublesome. Saying his supporters in Nembe are threatening PDP members out of their community.

Naija News reports that Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum, is the flag bearer for the nation’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). He recently resigned to seek a second term as governor.

After voting in his LG, Diri said his party was concerned that its agents and observers have been stopped from accessing Nembe LGA. He said PDP had written an official letter to the chairman of INEC on the matter.

“They have to take drastic measures to allow our people to go in there to monitor the voting process. What we call for is a free and fair electoral process,” he said.

“Let accreditation of voters in Nembe be done by the BVAS as I have done here today.”

Speaking further, Diri accused Sylva of winning elections through violence, adding that the people of Bayelsa do not deserve a violent governor.

Governor Diri said: “Timipre Sylva has been a violent person in every election. If you recall, the leader of the Ijaw nation, elder Edwin Clark, wrote a letter to him on why he has refused to drop his forceful and violent way of winning elections,” Diri said.

“However, God is on the throne, and we’re standing against him in his violent way of winning elections.

“Recall that his deputy in Brass LG threatened our party members that if any is sighted, they should be thrown into the Atlantic Ocean and that they’re not the first people to die, and you’ll agree with me that pair is a violent pair and that’s not what the people of Bayelsa deserve.”