Former Governor and leader of the All Progressive Congress(APC), in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has warned the Police in State to be on the lookout as he is reliably informed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is stockpiling arms in preparation for the 2019 general elections.
He also appealed to politicians and candidates of the various parties taking part in forthcoming elections in the state, to play by the rules and not hit-up the polity, noting that activities during this period should be about the election and not war.
Sylva, who also called for safe and peaceful conduct throughout the electioneering period, said he is hopeful of greater chances of victory for his party in the State because of the credible and well-grounded candidates the party fielded.
He stated this while addressing newsmen at the police headquarters in Yenagoa, briefly after his visit to the state commissioner of police, Aminu Saleh.
Sylva, who accused the members of the PDP in the state of stockpiling arms for the elections, added that he hope and pray that they will not have the opportunity to use those arms throughout this period.
“Campaigns are going on everywhere in the state and the country, as you all know APC is the dominant party in the State and we have better chances in this election, we are hoping everybody will give peace a chance, Bayelsans are naturally peaceful people but the unfortunate things is that the PDP have been stockpiling arms and we hope that they will never have the opportunity to use them.”
Sylva, who disclosed that the main reason why he visited the police boss in the state was to get assurances because of the recent criminal activities, murders, attack on APC members and pulling down of Billboards, adding that he believes that the government of Bayelsa State has a direct hand in the several killings.
He also faulted Governor Dickson’s frequent complains about deployment and re-deployment of police commissioners in the state, noting that the reason why he didn’t shout about this recent change was that the current commissioner was in the state to do his bidding.
“We are here to visit the commissioner to get assurances because they are several killings and nothing’s has been done about it, a day ago, our presidential candidate’s billboard was brought down by unknown men and we know this is the kind of things that precipitate problems, if our members begin to react then they’ll crisis”
“One of the strategies is to interact with the police and INEC, so that they’ll know that we are very serious this time and will not condone any form of connivance between the two agencies and politicians like in 2015 when we ran elections with police and INEC.”