The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun to invite the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11 governorship election, Timpre Sylva, for questioning over the killing in Opu-Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, at a press conference on Tuesday, accused Sylva of recruiting and sponsoring armed thugs to unleash violence and cause harm to the people of his community.

Ologunagba stated that the intention of the APC was to intimidate and instill fear in the people “so as to prevent them from freely exercising their democratic right to vote a governor of their choice, having realised that there is no way their candidate, Chief Timipre Silva, can win in a peaceful, free and fair election in Bayelsa State.”

He condemned the recourse to violence, and alleged that such was witnessed during the 2019 governorship election, also in “Nembe with the connivance of certain high-ranking security operatives.”

The PDP spokesperson expressed worry over the alleged connivance of security operatives in the attacks, especially “the report that these thugs adorn military attires to carry out their evil deeds.”

He recalled that a policeman and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were recently arrested at a military checkpoint in Otakeme in Ogbia Local Government of the state allegedly accompanying armed men to Nembe.

“There are already allegations in the public space that some high-ranking police personnel are aiding this reprehensible scheme to use violence to forcefully gain control of Opu-Nembe so as to grant the APC the ground to massively rig the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the area,” he added.

Ologunagba called on the IGP to immediately wade into the situation in Nembe, adding that he should as a matter of urgency, launch an investigation into the alleged connivance of certain police officials in the invasion and killing in Opu-Nembe.

He equally urged the IGP to investigate the petitions already filed to his office by the people of Nembe against the APC candidate “with the view to apprehending the thugs and killers who unleashed mayhem on the community recently.”

Ologunagba boasted that the people of

Opu-Nembe and Bayelsa State will massively vote for the PDP candidate Governor Douye Diri, because of the development he has brought to the state in the last four years.

“Chief Timipre Sylva ought to have realised that he is fighting a lost battle as no amount of violence can subdue the will of the people.

“Bayelsans are firmly behind Governor Diri and they are able, ready, and willing to resist the APC by overwhelmingly voting for him and defending their votes to the very end. On this resolve, there is no going back.

“The PDP therefore, in very strong terms cautions Chief Timipre Sylva to stop pushing his kinsmen, the people of Opu-Nembe to the wall and taking their peaceful and law-abiding disposition as a sign of weakness or cowardice,” he warned. (New Telegraph)

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