By Gilbert Alasa.
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Saturday’s governorship in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, on Monday said he would challenge the outcome of the election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had on Sunday declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, and incumbent governor of the state, Seriake Dickson, winner of the election.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, Mr. Sylva alleged that INEC colluded with the PDP to rig the election in favour of the PDP.
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Sylva said he had previously complained, prior to the election, that the current structure of INEC in the state does not support credible election.
He alleged that INEC officials were assembled by the immediate-past administration to deliver the state to PDP in last general elections.
“I said in the beginning that I do not have confidence in the REC and the Administrative Secretary, that I do not expect a fair treatment if these people were to preside over the election.
“I said so over and over and over again. I even reduced it to writing, and we sent the petition. Usually before elections of this nature, INEC officials are switched.
“But this time, they chose to keep this team that was already in place set up by the PDP as rigging machine.
“This was the same team that returned almost 100 percent of all votes in Bayelsa to the former president.
“And we felt that these people could not have given us a free and fair treatment. But unfortunately, our cries fell on deaf ears. Yesterday, they proved themselves true to type,” he noted.
While appealing to APC supporters to keep calm, Mr. Sylva argued that the election should have been declared inconclusive since about 53,000 votes were still outstanding as cancelled votes.
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