We will counter PDP strategies on rigging, says Sylva

Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa State, has said that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), would do every- thing within its means to counter every conceived strategy the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) “might want to use to rig the forth- coming elections”.

He made this known while briefing journalists at a meeting of the Field Operations Directorate of the Buhari Campaign Organisation in Abuja. The meeting, which was held to strategise and mobilise more support for the party’s Presidential Candidates, Muhammadu Buhari, also had in attendance Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, a former senator representing Lagos East, Olorunnibe Mamora and Bashir Lawal, deputy national chairman (North) of the party.

Sylva, who expressed optimism on the chances of his party in the forthcoming elections, said nothing was going to stop the APC from scuttling any attempt to disrupt the smooth running of the general election. “The PDP is made of persons and luckily, some of us had also oper- ated in the PDP so we know their antics, we are not taking them for granted as we are aware that the only thing they could think of now is on how to rig us out but the plan will surely fail,” he said.

On the call by the National Security Adviser to the President, Sambo Dansuki, for the country to have the elected shifted, Sylva said it was “quite unfortunate” for any- one to even think about that, say- ing the call was an indication of fear from the camp of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“We know they are planning to rig, that is why they are calling for the postponement of the elections but Nigerians said they are ready so why will they want to draw us back?” he queried.

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The former governor also scored the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan low, noting that the country needed a change of government to achieve uneven development the downtrodden masses are yearning for. “Jonathan has failed Nigerians, even people at his native home of Bayelsa, are tired of him; he has not brought anything good to the people of Niger Delta region.

What Bayelsans were even expect- ing from him is the completion of the East West road which his government has failed to do. The Brass-Energy project which is sup- posed to generate thousands of jobs has also been abandoned.

While some people said it is because the project was not situated at Otueke (the President’s hometown) that is why it has been abandoned, we ask them what he (Jonathan) has brought to Otueke; there is no elec- tricity in Otueke.

I can assure you that even his people in Otueke will vote against him. Sylva also stressed that the country was lacking a leader who could manage efficiently the na- tion’s abundant resources, adding that the APC boasts in its ranks an “upright man in the person of Gen- eral Muhammadu Buhari who will rescue Nigeria from its impoverish position.

He stated that the success of Bu- hari will, to a large extent, depend on the level of sacrifice the state coordinators make towards it. Also speaking at the meeting, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State urged all the coordinators to go back to their states and constitu- encies and maximally mobilise vot- ers to vote for the Buhari/ Osinbajo ticket.

“The Osun experience is pure and simply a manifestation of the power to come out and vote and protect their votes,” he said.