Slyva leads protest against destruction of Buhari’s campaign materials
A former governor of Bayelsa State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress , Timipre Sylva , on Friday led a protest to the state police command over the pulling down of President Muhammadu Buhari ’ s campaign billboards and alleged intimidation of party members in the state .
Sylva , who spoke at the police command headquarters in Yenagoa , the capital , after a meeting with the state Commissioner of Police , Aminu Saleh, said he was concerned about attacks on members of the APC in the state .
The former governor, who was accompanied by a former deputy governor, Werinipre Seibarugu, and a former Commissioner for Youths , Ibarakumo Otobo , said he was worried about the destruction of the President ’ s campaign materials by persons suspected to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party .
He said , “ Recently, the billboard that was erected for our presidential candidate , President Buhari , was brought down by unknown men. We know that these are the kinds of things that precipitate problems .
“ If our members begin to react to our billboards being brought down , it can lead to crisis . We came to report the incident to the Commissioner of Police . Our billboards are being brought down illegally. ”
The former governor said leaders of his party were also worried that Governor Seriake Dickson , who had hitherto shouted about frequent changing of police commissioners in the state , kept quiet after a new police commissioner was brought to the state.
He said , “There has been a hullabaloo in Bayelsa State about commissioners of police coming and going.
“ Suddenly, Governor Seriake Dickson , who was always complaining about the changing of commissioners of police , has not complained after this new change .
“ This time , he was very quiet ; that means it is not about the changing of commissioners of police . If it was a case of too many changes , then another change would have called for an uproar.
“ So , we felt that we needed to come and get assurance from the commissioner of police . ”
Youth Coordinator of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Famous Daunemigha , recently raised an alarm over the pulling down of his campaign posters by suspected hoodlums on the eve of Dickson ’ s visit to his community.
Daunemigha , who is a candidate of the APC in the House of Representatives election , called on the police to be proactive to avoid a breakdown of law and order as campaigns intensified .
In a swift reaction , the PDP accused the APC of unleashing violence and intimidating its member.
The party ’ s Deputy Chairman , Mathew Soni – Goli, who spoke at a peace parley earlier presided by the commissioner of police , explained that the APC was only crying wolf while it continued to unleash violence on the people .
However , the Speaker of the state House of Assembly and candidate of the PDP, Benson Kobenwei, called for peace to reign in the state , urging the police and Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure a free and fair poll.