Political Parties in a free for all over Bayelsa LG polls

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State are back at each other’s throat over the forthcoming local council election set to take place on the 10th of August.

In the latest round of exchanges, Governor Seriake Dickson, who fired the first shot, accused the APC of planning to boycott the council election because the party lacked the capacity to win any election in Bayelsa State.

He spoke in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei, on Wednesday.

Governor Dickson stated that APC lacked the popularity and the capacity to challenge the PDP in any election under his leadership.

He said; “I understand that some parties are boycotting the council election, especially the APC, but that’s their own right. But we expected them to show their strength in this state in an election that does not have much to do with federal might.

“We thought they would take advantage of this election to show their real strength on ground but unfortunately they chickened out.

“The party that is now running away even from council election, let’s see the fire they have in their stomachs.”

However, the APC in a swift response taunted Dickson’s metrics of strength as faulty.

It stressed that the decision to boycott the council elections “is not a sign of weakness” but “the way of strength and wisdom”.

Reacting in a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, the APC accused the Dickson’s government of turning BYSIEC into an extension of the PDP.

“If PDP is the main house, the BYSIEC is the back house. In the past two months, this electoral outfit has had three chairmen.

“All of them are card-carrying members of the PDP. The first one is now a candidate for the same election he was scheduled to conduct.

“The second one just rounded off his tour of duty as a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly under the platform of the PDP.

“The incumbent served as a local government council chairman under PDP,” he said.