BREAKING NEWS, Politics
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The national and state leaderships of the Peoples Democratic Party while congratulating the people of Bayelsa State for re-electing Seriake Dickson as governor, lament loss of lives during the election process
THE national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has commended people of Bayelsa State for re-electing Seriake Dickson as state governor.
The PDP particularly saluted the people for standing against intimidation, rigging and violence to ensure that their will as a people prevailed in the Saturday, January 9, supplementary election.
“In fact, the steadfastness and resilience shown by the people, particularly in Southern Ijaw will go down in history as one of the many sacrifices made to defend democracy in the land,” the party said in a statement signed by Uche Secondus, its acting national chairman.
The party alleged that what happened in Bayelsa State on Saturday showed clearly that the All Progressives Congress – led federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari was not disposed to free, fair and credible electoral process in the country despite being a huge beneficiary of the PDP’s electoral reform.
The statement said the party supporters were greatly intimidated during the electoral process and that it took the resilience of the electorate to resist the federal might of the APC in the state.
“The PDP however decries the desperation of the APC whose thugs and compromised security operatives openly engaged in violence resulting in the killing and maiming of innocent Bayelsans. We hereby demand a comprehensive inquest into these killings and that all perpetrators be brought to book,” the statement said.
Speaking in the same vein, the PDP in Bayelsa State, while congratulating the people of their support, said the victory was tainted by loss of lives during the election. “Those who died are our brothers. So many are yet in the hospitals nursing life threatening injuries because our opponents wanted to win at all cost. We wish to express our deepest condolences once again and to assure them that their death will not be in vain,” the party statement signed by Jonathan Obuebite, director of publicity, Restoration Campaign Organisation, shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Dickson winner.
Obuebite stated in particular that the victory was important because it came the way of the PDP even in the face of intimidation, tyranny, threats and violent attacks, but however, observed that “despite the challenges, democracy won.”
He said: “We want to use this opportunity to sincerely thank all Bayelsans for their doggedness and patriotism because even in the face of such terrible intimidation and violence decided, out of their own volition, they came out to re-elect and return the Countryman Governor to office for the next four years. We are grateful for your remarkable decision as expected in a democracy.
“The people have spoken and we are indeed grateful. It’s your victory, you the good people of Bayelsa State. Without doubt, a new dawn is here. Bayelsans, through their uncommon courage have defeated tyranny and oppression by voting for the continuation of the restoration of our dignity and pride as amply demonstrated through their votes.”
The RCO stated that the victory was a sweet one which signposts the end of an era of a political class whose stock in trade was “violence, brigandage, militancy and bloodletting as the only means of accessing power.”
Obuebite condemned the sheer scale of violence and mayhem that characterized the 2015 governorship election in BayelsaState, saying it will go down in history as one with the highest record of casualties.
While calling for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the reported killings, the PDP condoled with the families of those who lost their loved ones.
— Jan 11, 2016 @ 19:45 GMT
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