The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is stockpiling arms in Bayelsa State in the build up to the 2019 general election.

The State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Moses Cleopas, alleged in a statement on Thursday that the leaders of the APC in Bayelsa, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, were stockpiling arms to cause mayhem during the elections.

Cleopas said that the PDP leadership in Bayelsa had to raise the alarm to draw the attention of the security agencies to the evil plot of the APC leaders whose activities led to the death of several innocent Bayelsans in the last election in 2015.

The PDP Chairman called on security agencies to investigate the sinister activities of the APC members to prevent a repeat of the mayhem and bloodletting that characterized the 2015 election.

He said that the PDP was not surprised by the strategy of violence being adopted by the APC leaders reputed for violence as they promised President Buhari that they would deliver Bayelsa to him even when they lacked the support base and capacity to do so.

Cleopas said that the PDP remained the party of Bayelsans and was ready to participate in a free, fair and credible election.

He said: “It has come to the attention of the PDP that the leaders of the APC, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, are leading other members of the party to stockpile arms to cause mayhem in our state.

“We are not surprised that the APC is contemplating this strategy of violence after having boasted to their leader, President Buhari, that they would deliver Bayelsa when they are unpopular and have no support base to achieve that.

“Bayelsans are already aware of the violent reputation of these so-called leaders as clearly shown by the orgy of violence they unleashed on innocent citizens in the last election.

“That is why we are sounding this warning early enough so that the security agencies can quickly wade into this matter and investigate this arms build-up, with a view to arresting those who are behind the planned mayhem.

“The PDP is prepared for free, fair and credible election devoid of violence, bloodshed and the death of any Bayelsan. The APC should do the same as the ruling party.

“We want the security agencies to investigate it, we don’t want a repeat of the violence of 2015.”

Cleopas stressed that the PDP would not keep silence about the impending mayhem being planned by the APC as shown by the arms build up to the elections.

He said that the leadership of the security agencies had a responsibility to treat the issue with the deserving seriousness as it was linked to the lives of Bayelsans.

“The PDP will not keep quiet over this impending anarchy being planned by the APC for the general elections. We call on the authorities to take this critical issue seriously as it is linked to the Lives of innocent people,” he added

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