Bayelsa decides: Tension builds over death of APC chieftain

A day  to the commencement  of votes in the Bayelsa governorship election, tension is building in Kolokuma/ Opokuma and Bayelsa central senatorial district over the killing of a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Odi.
According to investigations, Dieseye Dickson the deputy chairman of Odi ward 1 was gunned by some people dressed in Army uniform.
However, the  Sylva/ Igiri Campaign Organisation ( SICO) in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba has accused the Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) of being behind the killing , claiming  that PDP thugs murdered  the deceased as part of its strategy to intimidate APC members ahead of the elections tomorrow.
Egba who described the killing as wicked and unwarranted, called on the Police to fish out the killers and bring them to justice .
The statement read  “As at this morning (Thursday) the corpse of Mr. Dickson, was still lying in a pool of his own blood where he was killed. Do note that this is the second killing being carried out by the PDP since the campaigns started. Recall that Mr. Andrew June , a ward chairman of our party in Ekeremor LGA was machete to death. We condemned this act of desperation by the PDP to continually attack and intimidate our supporters.”
“This killing is wicked, unwarranted and provocative. The APC and the campaign organization have repeatedly called on the police and other security agencies to step up their patrol to forestall any further attack on the APC members. Killers of these people must not be allowed to go unpunished.”
The PDP in the local government has however absolved itself of the killing of the deceased, pointing that he died during a shootout between Policemen and suspected kidnappers in a foiled kidnap attempt on one Chief Watson Ogoriba, elder brother of former member representing Yenagoa/ Kolokuma/ Opokuma Federal Constituency, Warman Ogoriba.
A member of the Federal House of Representative representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma constituency, Hon.Douye Diri,who confirmed the incident, said it was a case of foiled kidnap attempt. He said  “it was not a party conflict.”
He continued “It was a case of failed kidnap attempt. It is not about PDP or the APC. When the kidnappers arrived the community, the vigilante people alerted the Police in Kaiama Divisional Command and they engaged the suspected kidnappers in a shoot-out. The victim may have been caught in a cross fire”.

Party hails Osinbajo, SGF, Tinubu, others

The All Progressives Congress (APC) family in Brass Constituency II, Bayelsa State, has thanked the party’s national leadership, especially, the national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir David Lawal, for standing by the people of the state in their effort to free it  from “PDP-imposed poverty” at the December 5 governorship election.
They also thanked the chairman and deputy chairman of the APC governorship election campaign council, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, respectively, as well as other members of the council for their dedication.
In a statement yesterday by  APC governorship campaign in Bayelsa State, the constituency’s leaders, Hon. Abaye Ayebatonyo and Fayenengigha Jacob, said, “The huge nationwide support shows that the country values the people of Bayelsa State.”
The constituency also expressed gratitude to “Bayelsa people for supporting our son, the APC governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva.”
Brass Constituency II is Sylva’s home base.
The statement said, “We thank specially the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and all the members of the APC National Working Committee. We appreciate the dedication of the chairman, deputy chairman, and other members of the APC governorship election campaign council for Bayelsa State.
“Your support has been great in the historic effort by our people to free the state from the regime of poverty and underdevelopment foisted and supervised by the PDP.
“The overwhelming support for Chief Sylva and APC in Bayelsa State from the APC family nationally and locally is a worthy recognition of the wonderful potentials of the candidate and the party in the state.
“The APC family in Brass Constituency II and, indeed, the whole Bayelsa State, pledge to justify the huge confidence reposed in us as the party steers the ship of the state, by the grace of God, after the December 5 election.
“We are bolstered by the support of the APC national leadership, and we promise to come out en masse on Saturday to reclaim our state and free the people from years of PDP-imposed poverty. We will win, by God’s grace.”