Ensure Peaceful, Credible Poll, Saraki Urges INEC, Security Agencies

•APC now empty, says former Bayelsa acting governor, Seibarugu

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former Senate President and two-term Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the Bayelsa governorship election that holds this Saturday would be free and credible.

He equally implored the law enforcement agencies to ensure that the election was peaceful and that the people’s will prevailed.

Saraki, made the appeal when he joined Governor Douye Diri’s campaign train to some communities in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the State at the weekend.

He spoke to journalists shortly after he inaugurated the newly-built Government Science and Technical College, Swali, Yenagoa.

His words: “When you are in Abuja, you hear all kinds of things. But coming here, l can see that the PDP is fully on ground.

“Secondly, I can also see the infrastructure. Years ago, there was only one major road. But now you can see the development and road network as well as the joy and happiness of the people.

“In any free and fair election in Bayelsa, l am sure Diri will win. So my appeal to INEC is to ensure a free and fair election and the security agencies to ensure that there is peace so that people can express their wish freely,” Saraki stressed.

Meanwhile, a former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, has said the opposition party in Bayelsa State was virtually empty following his defection and that of other critical stakeholders from the party.

Seibarugu, who was Acting Governor, Deputy Governor and Speaker of the House of Assembly at various times, spoke at a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally when the Diri re-election campaign trail visited Agudama-Ekpetiama community in Yenagoa Local Government Area over the weekend.

Seibarugu, urged the people to vote for PDP in this Saturday’s governorship poll so that the incumbent governor could continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to the state.

A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary and member of the Publicity Directorate of the state PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying: “We are all with Governor Diri. The entire state knows that we were the APC stalwarts in Bayelsa and now that we have left, the APC is empty.

“Nobody should deceive you. If they tell you to go and do anything for them (APC), tell your families and friends that they are wasting their time. It is better for you to hear this from the horse’s mouth.

“My former boss (Timipre Sylva) was on a radio programme recently saying he was going to do human empowerment. Ask him, when he was Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, who did he empower? So let us all vote for Governor Diri.”

In his remarks, Diri acknowledged the invaluable contributions of the Ekpetiama people not only to development of the State, but also the country.

The governor expressed delight that Seibarugu returned to the PDP to work for its success in the November 11 governorship election.

Earlier, at the palace of the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, King Bubaraye Dakolo, who is also chairman of the state traditional rulers council, the governor granted the requests presented by the monarch, which include installation of solar lights, rehabilitation of roads, access road to the palace as well as construction of roads in Bomoundi-gbene and Ikibiri communities.

He also directed the Commissioner for Power and the state electricity board to do an assessment of the community’s power situation and give him a report.

The governor equally directed the Commissioner for Education to inspect the state of the Gbarain community primary schools with a view to putting them to proper use.