Several members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa have expressed shock and disappointment at what they termed a compromise of the people’s will in the state.
In a submitted petition, titled “SOS: Bayelsa State APC Can No Longer Continue To Be The Sacrificial Lamb,” by over 38 members, they detailed their grievances against the ruling party’s Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee.
The petition accused the national party leadership of abandoning Timipre Sylva, the APC governorship candidate, during a critical election phase.
They suggested that the Bayelsa State chapter might have been used for ulterior motives, disregarding the efforts of loyal party members and supporters.
They also vehemently criticized INEC’s actions, alleging bias and manipulation of results, particularly in areas where the APC purportedly held a substantial advantage.
Part of the petition read:
“We, the undersigned, are bona fide members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State chapter, and we write with searing pain in our hearts over the brazen electoral heist perpetrated against our governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, his running mate, Great Joshua Maciver and the entire APC family in the state in the November 11 2023 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.
“We state unequivocally our utter shock, disgust, and disappointment at the audacious compromise and subversion of the will of the people of Bayelsa State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in its bold-faced cancellation of a whooping 84,806 votes scored by our great party, the APC in the above-mentioned election.
“Despite employing underhand tactics by unleashing wanton violence on members of our party in the lead-up to the election and during the election, as well as emptying the treasury of the state to engage in unbridled vote buying, which commenced weeks before the election, the people of Bayelsa State still rejected the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Douye Diri, and instead opted to vote overwhelmingly for our party’s candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva and his running mate Great Joshua Maciver.
“Unfortunately, and rather sadly, INEC abandoned its role as an unbiased umpire as it was given cover by security operatives to perpetrate an electoral heist of monumental proportion against our great party and the people of Bayelsa State.
“We find it strange and curious that our party’s candidate was left in the lurch by the party at the national level at a time he needed the support of the party the most, and are therefore inclined to believe that the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC has once again been used as a sacrificial lamb to satisfy some vested interests without any consideration for the party’s teeming members and supporters who have worked assiduously and at great cost for our party’s victory.
“We, therefore, humbly, and passionately appeal that the party spares nothing at ensuring that the stolen mandate freely given to our party’s governorship candidate and his running mate is duly restored as we can no longer afford to be the sacrificial lamb in every governorship election.
“We also demand that all members of the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC who are known to have engaged in anti-party activities during this election be severely sanctioned to serve as a deterrent otherwise, we may just have successfully legitimized anti-party activities in the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC.”
“We believe strongly that wielding the big stick against party stalwarts who worked against the success of our great party is needed to save the Bayelsa State Chapter of the APC from disintegration, and we implore you not to shy away from doing the needful in this instance.”
