The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11, 2023 governorship poll in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and security agents of harassing his supporters.
Sylva spoke on Saturday after he cast his vote at Ward 4, Unit 4 in the Brass Local Government Area of the South-South state.
The APC candidate fingered security agents “especially the Army”, alleging that they are “playing on the side of the PDP”.
Sylva said violence has been recorded in Yenagoa, the state capital, alleging that an APC member was shot.
He wondered why large polling units where he is popular were being targeted.
“There is a lot of violence from the PDP trying to molest our voters with security (agents),” Sylva said. In fact, in some cases, it is believed by our people that we are running election, not against PDP, but against security (agents) but we are containing it.”
The APC candidate, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying “There is a lot of improvement on the part of INEC but there is still room for improvement.”
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.
In Saturday’s poll, Sylva is challenging Bayelsa State Governor and PDP candidate, Duoye Diri, who is seeking re-election. The election has been described by many analysts as a two-horse race.
Meanwhile, Diri accused Sylva of being behind electoral violence recorded in the Nembe-Bassambiri area of the state on Saturday.
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