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Bayelsa State chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Moses Cleopas, has called on the state government to ensure the conduct of the local government elections despite threats by elements of the opposition in the state.
Cleopas said in a statement that no amount of threats should be allowed to truncate the planned conduct of the local government polls scheduled to hold on August 10, 2019.
The PDP chairman was reacting to the sudden resignation of the chairman of the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr. Bertola Perekeme on Saturday.
Cleopas said that information at the disposal of the PDP indicated that Perekeme was threatened by members of opposition political parties to pull out of the planned conduct of the local government elections.
He stressed that some disgruntled elements in Bayelsa opposition, “who lack the capacity to win free, fair and credible elections,” were behind the plot to prevent the conduct of the local government polls in the state.
The PDP chairman called on the Police and other security agencies to ensure immediate investigation of the threats to the lives of the SIEC boss and his family members with a view to bringing the culprits to book.
He called on the Bayelsa people to be firm and support the elections being put in place to bring in the next elected local government chairmen and councilors in the state.
He said, “It has come to the attention of the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party in Bayelsa State that the chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr. Bertola Perekeme, has resigned from his position.
“Investigations our party conducted into this sudden development revealed shockingly that Dr. Perekeme and members of his family were threatened by members of the opposition political parties who lack the capacity to win any free and fair electoral contest in Bayelsa.
“It is on this note that we call on the government to proceed with planned local government polls designed to bring in Bayelsa’s next party chairmen and councilors. It would be sad to accede to the criminal intent of these characters.
“We hereby call on the police and other security agencies to investigate this audacity being exhibited by criminals masquerading as politicians with a view to arresting them for prompt prosecution.
“As a party, we are preparing for the election with the intent to win. Only the unpopular and those with evil intent would be against the conduct of free and fair polls at the local government level in the state,” he said.