BEVERLY HILLS, July 15, (THEWILL) – Chief Timipre Sylva, candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the last Bayelsa State governorship elections, has cautioned Governor Henry Seriake Dickson to allow the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Tribunal do its job.
According to a statement by Doifie Buokoribo, Media Adviser to Chief Timipre Sylva, Dickson is using bully-boy tactics and a series of deliberate to impugn the integrity of the tribunal in obvious fear of an unfavourable ruling.
“The attention of Chief Timipre Sylva, candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the last Bayelsa State governorship elections, has been drawn to a dangerous campaign in a few online media outlets and the social media,” the statement read.
“The structured campaign, apparently, launched to try to browbeat the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Tribunal as it prepares to deliver its judgement bears all the hallmarks of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson’s frequently used bully-boy tactics.
“It has involved a series of lies deliberately told to impugn the integrity of the tribunal in obvious fear of an unfavourable ruling.
“In one of the canards about a week ago, vended through a strange group, Good Governance Initiative, the Dickson group claimed that Sylva was lobbying the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar
Malami (SAN), the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir David Lawal, and other officials of the Federal Government to put pressure on the election tribunal to declare him governor via a black market judgement.
“Another false report, an apparent follow-up to the intimidation campaign run, appeared on Thursday, 14 July. It claimed the existence of an imaginary tension in Yenagoa following alleged confirmation by APC leaders, including the national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that the tribunal would rule in Sylva’s favour.
“Chief Sylva, who is the petitioner in the case sees this attempt by Dickson to second-guess the decision of the tribunal and, perhaps, try to intimidate it, as immoral and despicable. Sylva appeals to Dickson and his men to allow the tribunal to do its job.
“He, thus, urges that Dickson should for once control his predilections for falsehood and violent incitement and wait for the judicial process as it unfolds.
“Sylva’s expectation of justice from the election tribunal is hinged on his belief that the honourable judges would be guided by the letter and spirit of the law.
“Neither Bola Tinubu, nor Abubakar Malami, Babachir Lawal or Aisha Buhari is a member of the election tribunal. Therefore, it is unfair for Dickson and his group to insinuate that the respected tribunal judges are poodles of any political party or individual.
“We are aware that huge amounts of money have been disbursed by Dickson to individuals and groups to do a hatchet job on the Bayelsa election tribunal as it prepares to deliver its judgement.
“We are also aware that certain groups have been procured by Dickson and his men to cause violence if the ruling does not go in his favour.
“This manifestation of politics of anxiety on the part of Dickson is despicable. It is uncalled for, especially, as he is well aware that whatever judgement the election tribunal would give is not final.”
Story by David Oputah.
