•‘APC, Sylva planning to create confusion’
The Bayelsa State Government yesterday dismissed the speculation that the Supreme Court is reviewing its judgment in the governorship case between Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Dickson winner, prompting Sylva to seek legal redress from the Election Petitions Tribunal to the Supreme Court.
The state has been unsettled by a widespread rumour that the apex court was reviewing the judgment.
Promoters of the speculation were said to be claiming that the review was designed by the court to overrule itself in favour of Sylva and order his swearing-in tomorrow.
But the government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, described the speculation as complete falsehood.
Obuebite said: “Our attention has been drawn to rumours making the rounds that …Chief Sylva is due to be sworn in this Thursday based on a phantom Supreme Court decision.
“Ordinarily, we would have ignored this latest falsehood and chicanery by the APC but because it is intended to throw the state into confusion and undermine the current peace, we are unequivocally clearing the air.
“First, we want to dismiss the strange story as it is complete fiction that exists only in the dubious imagination of the originators. It has become very clear that the APC and its agents feed fat on deceit.
“The landmark judgment of the Supreme Court on November 8, 2016, was very clear in affirming the election of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson. All seven justices who sat on the case were unanimous in their judgment and we have copies of it, especially the lead judgment.”
The commissioner said the promoters of the report were trying to woo gullible Bayelsa residents to gather somewhere and give a historic welcome to Sylva “who is planning to visit the state openly, for the first time, after he was roundly defeated”.
The statement added: “Their intent is also to attract cheap publicity through the planned stage-managed reception and at the end tell Sylva that he is still on the ground when in actual fact he is not.
“Thirdly, having exposed the reason for the rumour, we call on security agents in the state to go after those behind it and ensure they are dealt with accordingly. This way, the peace of the state will be maintained and never again will anyone or group attempt to carry out such mischief.
“We also call on Bayelsa residents not to allow themselves to be used by cohorts of Sylva for what is completely nugatory. Any call to gather anywhere, including the Port Harcourt International Airport, should be completely ignored.
“Lastly, we want to emphasise that as a government that has sworn to protect the lives, property and integrity of the people, no amount of political brinkmanship and unbridled offensive/attack will make us poignant and distract us from our mandate, which is the thrust we have with our people.”