The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned former President Goodluck Jonathan to stop making misguided comments on activities of its chapter in Bayelsa ahead of the state governorship poll scheduled for Nov. 16.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Yekini Nabena, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
Nabena was reacting to a media report credited to the former president where he was said to have described APC in Bayelsa as a party that lacked political strength to win elections.
The former president was quoted as saying that APC lacked presence at the ward, local government and state levels to win the coming election.
He reportedly made the statement during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Elders’ Advisory Council meeting at Government House, Yenagoa.
Nabena, however, described Jonathan as ‘a push and start President’ who never won any election even in his home state of Bayelsa.
According to him, Jonathan has never contested any election and won, even that of 2015 he contested as a sitting president he lost woefully.
He recalled that in the recent 2019 senatorial election in Bayelsa, APC defeated Jonathan’s candidate in his senatorial district.
“Former President Jonathan is attempting to rewrite history on presidential elections conducted under his watch in Bayelsa while he was president.
“He never won as votes never counted. Aided by security agents, election results were simply announced by the election body in favour of the PDP.
“Former President Jonathan even lost in his senatorial zone in the last 2019 National Assembly election won by the APC candidate. So one wonders the party Jonathan refers to as not being on ground in Bayelsa,” he said.
Nabena alleged that the PDP and the outgoing Bayelsa Gov. Seriake Dickson were plotting to use the state security outfit ”Operation Doo Akpo” to rig the election.
“The media will recall that under Gov. Seriake Dickson’s watch, 63 Smart Card Readers belonging to INEC were stolen and later retrieved.
“Also, I had earlier called on the Inspector General of Police to proscribe the state-controlled security outfit ”Operation Doo Akpo” following security reports indicating that the state government was plotting violence by flooding the state with arms ahead of the 2019 polls.
“That threat is still active as Bayelsa prepares for the governorship election,” the APC deputy spokesman said.
According to him, it is clear that no amount of falsehood and rigging can stop PDP’s imminent defeat in the forthcoming governorship election.
“The PDP has become very unpopular and stands rejected in Bayelsa, ” the Bayelsa-born APC chieftain said. (NAN)
