Sylva, Diri Trade Words Over Violence, Arms Stockpiling In Bayelsa

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has accused Governor Douye Diri of planning to perpetrate violence and stockpile arms during the November 11 election.

Speaking to newsmen at the venue of signing the peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) in Yenagoa on Wednesday, Sylva alleged that the PDP had orchestrated much violence in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA.

However, the former Minister of State for Petroleum expressed hope the peace accord would make the critical actors in the election stand back and work for peace.

He said: “APC today has come to demonstrate that we are committed to peace in Bayelsa State, but we are not comfortable with the disposition of our opponents; PDP has orchestrated a lot of violence in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, but I’m hoping that the peace accord will make all of us stand back, and ensure there is peace in this election.

“We hope that other parties will obey and abide by the peace accord; having signed it, we believe it will at least change everybody not to do what they are planning to do because we hear all the plans, we hear thugs imported from other states.”

Also speaking, Governor Diri, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), denied the allegation of keeping arms and causing violence in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA.

The governor, however, promised to be fully committed to peace and asked residents of the state to come massively and vote on Saturday.

He said: “Sylva has accused me, Douye Diri, of stockpiling arms in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA; that should be the fattest lie of the year, and that shows that this peace accord is going to be ineffectual because if a man chooses to be telling lies even in the face of this peace accord, then something is wrong.

“I was embarrassed when I got that information, and everybody knows in this state, those who are given to violence and the flash red points, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA has never been a flash red point. I think the candidate of APC may have stockpiled arms on Kolokuma/Opokuma”, he alleged, calling on security agencies to investigate.”