Bayelsa poll: Diri warns voters against invalid votes for APC

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the November 11 Bayelsa State Governorship elections and incumbent Governor, Senator Douye Diri, insists that the candidature of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, has not been validated by the court, hence any vote for the APC will be declared invalid.

Diri, who was speaking in Agbere Community the headquarters of Sagbama Constituency III, during the grand finale of the constituency campaigns in the area yesterday, pointed out that the former governor and immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, HMSPR, has not been cleared by the courts to contest the November 11 governorship polls.

Earlier, the governor and his campaigns train had visited Angalabiri, Tungbo, Asamabiri, Trofani, Ofoni, Elemebiri, among others called on the people to vote for the PDP.

At Trofani Community, the governor who commissioned an electricity project linking the community to the national grid, urged the people not to be deceived by the mouth-watering promises of Sylva.

He said: “Trofani is our place, we came just to greet you and to acknowledge the fact that you have done very well and with your valuable sons and who are working with us and adding value to our state and your community.

“Today we are happy that public power supply has been restored and Trofani has now been reconnected to the national grid.

“We want to urged you to continue to keep the peace and don’t let anyone deceive you. There are those who are full of promises, who build empty castles in the air , don’t let them deceive you. You have been doing very well and we know that you will continue to do well. Trofani is a PDP community and we know come November 11, Trofani will deliver 100 percent.

Also speaking at Agbere, Diri said: “Let me remind you that in this election that we are going on November 11, now Timipre Sylva is not a candidate, who said it? It is the court. Up till now they are filing and filing appeal and the date is getting closer. They will file and file out of time.

“So any vote for the APC is an invalid vote. Even campaigns they are becoming jealous, what they are doing now is that they are calling people to come and disorganize our campaigns, but you see when God has bless a man, you cannot curse.

“So let me advise my prevalidating man, who says that the chapter of governorship of Bayelsa State and him is closed and now he has reopened it.

“When you have reopened it, play it according to the rules and anybody who does not play it to the rule is an animal and that is the kind of society that Thomas Hobbes described as the state of nature where might is right , where life has become brutish, nasty and short. And our society, Bayelsa State is a lawful society, it is not a lawless society. So if you don’t keep by your words others keep by their words, others keep to laws.

“So please stop scamming people to disorganize our organic campaigns and rallies. We don’t buy these people, they are here because they love their state. So I advised, let us play by the rules.”

The campaign rally also witnessed defections of thousands of APC chieftains and supporters to the PDP.