PDP vow to resist deployment of soldiers in Bayelsa

• As APC raises alarm over N17.5bn withdrawal

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), says the people of Bayelsa state would do everything to resist any attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to deploy soldiers to rig the November 16 gubernatorial election in the state.

Bayelsa PDP chairman, Moses Cleopas who stated this in a statement on Sunday, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plots to rig the November 16 governorship election in the states with soldiers.

The party said that the recent claim by the national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole and other leaders of the party, that the PDP was stockpiling arms ahead of the election, was only meant to justify deployment of soldiers, who help them to rig the poll.

He asked Nigerians to disregard the allegation by the APC against the PDP, insisting that the ruling party fabricated the claim in its “desperation to cause mischief.”

He added that it was “absurd and ridiculous for the national chairman of the ruling party, Oshiomhole and his deputy, Yekini Nabena, to make wild allegations about arms stockpiling against the PDP.”

Meanwhile, the APC has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led government of Bayelsa State of making a suspicious withdrawal of N17.5 billion for vote buying during the coming November 16 election in the state.

The deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, Mr. Yekini Nabena, made the allegation in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

He called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to probe the alleged withdrawal, which he said was withdrawn by proxies of Governor Seriake Dickson.

The party also called for the arrest of the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Maxwell Ebibai, who it accused as overseeing the alleged ‘illegal withdrawals’.

The statement read, “In the last two weeks the Bayelsa state government has, in highly suspicious circumstances, made several withdrawals to the tune of N17.5 billion, without any corresponding project to justify the withdrawals. Insider reports we received stated that Governor Seriake Dickson approved the illegal withdrawals to fund the election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state.