Bayelsa Polls: Buhari Ignores Sylva, set to May Probe security Failures

Bayelsa Polls: Buhari Ignores Sylva, set to May Probe security Failures
A spirited attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva to have audience with President
Muhammadu Buhari was rebuffed on Thursday in Abuja.
Security operatives at the Presidential Villa were said to have denied Sylva access to the President who is said to be unhappy over the security failures and loss of lives during the Bayelsa Governorship election.
It was learnt that President Buhari condemned the
electoral fraud and violence that rocked the Bayelsa governorship election and attracted wide condemnation.
According to the source, “Security operatives at the villa acted as a result of the disposition of the President to the reported reign of terror, mayhem and violence unleashed on voters during the rescheduled
governorship election in Southern Ijaw LGA.”
President Buhari was said to be unhappy with the APC in Bayelsa State and its governorship
candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva over the reported pockets of violence during the rescheduled election in Southern Ijaw LGA.
The President’s anger, according to inside sources is coming on the heels of the wide-spread condemnation of the conduct of the APC members in last weekend’s governorship election in the State, especially in Southern Ijaw LGA, where no fewer than five persons lost their lives.
Specifically, Buhari was said to be unhappy with Chief Sylva for deceiving and hoodwinking the leadership of the APC at the national level of his popularity to hand him the governorship ticket of the party, when what is
on the ground was different.
“Mr. President is angry over the overwhelming criticism and condemnation of the process by the international observers, who did not mince words in describing the poll as a rape of democracy” he said.
“Some of the observers are already seeing the APC led federal government as incapable and lacking the capacity to conduct a free, fair and credible
election in a State as small as Bayelsa. What happened in Southern Ijaw was totally against every acceptable global democratic norm and practice” the source added.
Regarding alleged partisanship of some top military brass, the source said that, heads may roll as the presidency has called for investigations of the allegation leveled against these officers.
It was revealed that, the President felt highly embarrassed by the inability of the security agencies to provide a conducive environment for the conduct of peaceful and credible election in Bayelsa State.
Recall that both local and international observers had widely condemned the action of the army and other security personnel, who, according to reports, openly
aided armed thugs of the APC to hijack materials and INEC ad-hoc staff in a desperate bid to rig the election in Southern Ijaw LGA, which led to the cancellation of the exercise in the area.
END.