- Sponsor of faceless body a bad loser, says Diri’s CPS
The Ijaw Renaissance Movement (IRM) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to beam its searchlight on the ongoing judicial process challenging the victory of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri in the last election.
The stakeholders said they decided to call on the EFCC following allegations that Diri mobilised over N50billion to influence the outcome of the court process.
But in a swift response by Mr. Daniel Alabrah, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Douye Diri, he described IRM as a faceless and non-existent group, saying its allegation is like the hand of Esau, but the voice of Jacob.
He said the sponsor of the faceless group is a bad loser who does not want to accept the reality that he lost the November 11, 2023 governorship election, hence he continues to either make baseless allegations or use spurious groups like the IRM.
He said the talk about N50billlion set aside to influence the election tribunal was equally hogwash.
The Secretary of IRM, Nisakpo Augustine, said they became concerned about the allegation after billions of tax payers’ money was deployed by the Diri administration to compromise the sanctity of the last election through vote-buying.
Augustine in a statement in Yenagoa said with such high level of voter inducement, they would no longer doubt the capacity of the Bayelsa government to settle its disputes through bribery.
He said: “As unfortunate as this seems, it is still a reminder of the November 11 governorship election where billions of Bayelsa tax payers’ money were hurled into the system for similar purposes. This is why every well-meaning Ijaw and Bayelsan must take this alarm seriously this time.
“In a state that ranks shyly on poverty index, with infrastructural left deficit; in a state that has abandoned the shiny prospects of its youths, that has a hazy roadmap and that is nearly nil on investments, pursuing personal political dreams with what is left of the treasury is almost inhumane and narcissistic.”
Augustine said recently, they had been on the trail of a governorship candidate from a northern state, who bought a property in Abuja with his share of the Bayelsa loot.
He, however, expressed confidence in the country’s judiciary to toe the path of justice, especially in view of recent court judgments.
He said: “We, naturally, would have ignored the reports before us if not for the sordid precedence already set last year.
“The bright side is that our judiciary has markedly matured and far more fair than those in Creek Haven are imagining. The recent court judgments are a testament and we believe our judiciary and our very honourable judges are not for sale.
“We call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to look into the financial transactions of Bayelsa State and Senator Douye Diri.
“We call on ‘Bayelsans’ and ‘Ijaws’ at home and abroad to pay attention to the unbecoming political spending in the state, as it is at the centre of Bayelsa’s glaring underdevelopment.
“We will keep tabs and work with our reports and liaise with specific agencies of the government if the plan to pump in billions of Bayelsa taxpayers’ money in a bid to influence the November 11, 2023 governorship election from the tribunal up to the Supreme Court is not abandoned forthwith.”
Alabrah said: “Everyone in Bayelsa State knows that Governor Diri was the most popular candidate in the election, which he won freely and fairly. So anyone talking about compromise in an election that was adjudged as credible even by the leadership of the party that came second, the APC, is clearly a bad loser. We are confident that the courts will affirm the decision of the Bayelsa people.
“The talk about N50billion set aside to influence the election tribunal is equally hogwash. A man that was popularly elected by the Bayelsa electorate has no reason to panic. But the fear of another imminent defeat will make a loser point accusing figures at a tribunal that is yet to begin sitting.
“Likewise, asking the EFCC to beam its searchlight on the Bayelsa State Government is just crying wolf where there is none. The anti-graft agency knows where to look, as it is already doing in the investigation of those who awarded frivolous contracts while in office.”
