Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri, has said that some people are allegedly stockpiling arms as part of their preparations for the November 11 governorship election.

He spoke at the ‘Unveiling of a New Media Campaign for Promoting Projects and Programmes Commemorating 2023 World Social Media Day/ Launching of ‘PROSPERITY 2.0″, themed, ‘The New Media Paradigm: A New Gateway to Prosperity’.

The event held at the late DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa on Friday and was organised by the Bayelsa Government New Media headed by Kola Oredipe.

Diri, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, warned against the use of weapons at the polls, stressing that Bayelsa did not need the shedding of innocent blood of people, no matter how lowly-placed, because of political contest.

The second-term seeking governor remarked that rather the state needs peace and unity which, he said, is one of the cardinal objectives of his administration since its inception.

He said, “And like I keep saying, this government’s intention is actually to unite the people of Bayelsa State away from hatred. And that’s why I keep saying, where they give hatred we give them love, where they bring darkness we give them light.

“We are hearing some people want to pile up arms for November 11 (election). We will not pile up arms. Those arms will be piled up and they will never be used. We don’t want innocent blood of our people, no matter how lowly-placed, because you want to be governor. No, a thousand times no!

“Let our suffering women be brought out from suffering and poverty; let our suffering youths be brought out from suffering and poverty, and not to take advantage of that suffering that they are going through and use them as pawns and cannon fodder. No, a thousand times no!

“Let Bayelsa State become a state of peace and unity, a state that people will like to be coming to even be citizens of Bayelsa State.” (Sunday Independent)

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