The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bayelsa State chapter, at the weekend, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of stockpiling arms in the state as part of its preparations for the 2019 general election.
PDP state Chairman Chief Moses Cleopas alleged in a statement that APC leaders in Bayelsa, Chief Timipre Sylva, and Minister of State for Agriculture Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, were assembling weapons to cause violence.
But the APC, in a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, described the allegation as spurious and an attempt by the PDP to divert people’s attention from its plot to use violence in the election.
Cleopas said the PDP leadership raised the alarm to put the security agencies on notice about APC plot.
He called on security agencies to investigate the sinister activities of APC members to prevent a repeat of the mayhem and bloodletting that characterised the 2015 election.
The state PDP chair said the PDP was not surprised by APC’s strategy of violence because they promised President Muhammadu Buhari Bayelsa even when they lacked the support base and capacity to do so.
Cleopas said the PDP remained the party of Bayelsans and was ready to participate in a free, fair and credible poll.
He said: “It has come to the attention of the PDP that the leaders of the APC, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, are leading other members of the party to stockpile arms to cause mayhem in our state.
“We are not surprised that the APC is contemplating this strategy of violence after having boasted to their leader, President Buhari, that they would deliver Bayelsa when they are unpopular and have no support base to achieve that.
“Bayelsans are already aware of the violent reputation of these so called leaders as clearly shown by the orgy of violence they unleashed on innocent citizens in the last election.
“That is why we are sounding this warning early enough so that the security agencies can quickly wade into this matter and investigate this arms build-up, with a view to arresting those who are behind the planned mayhem.
“The PDP is prepared for free, fair and credible election devoid of violence, bloodshed and the death of any Bayelsan. The APC should do the same as the ruling party.
“We want the security agencies to investigate it, we don’t want a repeat of the violence of 2015.”
Cleopas said the PDP would not keep silent about the looming violence in the state following arms buildup.
He said security agencies should treat the issue with seriousness to avoid loss of lives.
“The PDP will not keep quiet over this impending anarchy being planned by the APC for the general election. We call on the authorities to take this critical issue seriously as it is linked to the Lives of innocent people”, he said.
In a swift reaction, APC described the alarm as an attempt to prevent people from discovering the truth about another orgy of violence being planned by the PDP.
Buokoribo said the ruling PDP in the state was planning a re-enactment of the electoral violence its members unleashed on APC supporters in 2015.
The statement said: “We would have ignored the infantile allegation deployed in the characteristically unintelligible style of PDP in the state under Governor Seriake Dickson.
“But we are constrained to respond just to warn our people, the good people of Bayelsa, to be wary of Dickson and his gang at a time like this. Their strategy has not changed – flying spurious allegations against the APC to try to divert attention from their demonic plots. What is uncertain is the manner of evil they want to unleash on the people this time.
“There is an umpteen frantic attempt by the Dickson syndicate to keep the change-inclined masses of Bayelsa bound under a colourless administration bereft of imagination.