Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State has accused Governor Douye Diri of masterminding a conspiracy to incriminate the APC candidate in the last governorship election in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, falsely using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement on Monday by APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, the party said Diri and his cohorts were hatching the plot purposely to distract Sylva and discourage him from effectively pursuing his petition challenging Douye’s declaration as governor-elect at the state governorship election petitions tribunal.
Buokoribo stated, “We are aware of Senator Diri’s devious activities at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) aimed at sponsoring invented petitions against Sylva, and the pressure he is mounting on officials of the commission to initiate arrest and prosecution against him on trumped up charges, particularly, bordering on his tour of duty as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
“We have it on good authority that Governor Diri has instigated officials of EFCC on a fishing expedition to try to cobble some flimsy and imaginary charges together against Sylva in order to arrest him. This is all in a bid to distract the APC candidate, and hinder effective pursuit of his petition at the State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.”
The statement added, “Senator Diri knows full well that he did not win the November 11 governorship poll; he knows without a doubt that he is holding a stolen mandate that would soon revert to the rightful owner. That is why despite his alleged victory, there is hardly any celebration. Diri and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are simply jittery, knowing there is nothing to celebrate.
“Chief Timipre Sylva and APC trust the capacity of the judiciary to do justice in the Bayelsa State governorship election litigation. We have filed our petition, and we are pursuing it diligently, hoping that there would be justice at the end of the day.
“But Diri and PDP, knowing their weak standing before the law, are doing all they can to hinder Sylva’s ability to pursue his petition. They simply distrust the judiciary and are trying sundry self-help tactics – the same strategy they employed before the governorship election.”
APC warned “Diri and PDP to desist from their conspiratorial activities against Sylva at the EFCC. We also wish to advise the EFCC to resist any temptation to get entangled in the political chicanery of the sinking governor and his party”.
