Don’t interfere in Bayelsa guber poll, group tells Tinubu

The Network of Bayelsa Professionals (NBP), a group, has asked President Bola Tinubu not to interfere in the forthcoming governorship election in the state. 

The Bayelsa state governorship election is scheduled for November 16.

In a statement on Sunday, Deinmobofa Tantua, spokesperson of the group, said there are speculations that Tinubu promised to deploy resources to ensure the victory of Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, in the poll.

Tantua urged the president not to undermine the tenets of democracy by interfering with the election.

“Members of the APC in the state have been rejoicing that the president assured their candidate that he was going to do everything to ensure he wins including using the influence of the military,” the group said.

“Some chieftains of the APC in the state made the claim in a viral video on social media after last week’s meeting between Tinubu and Sylva at the presidential villa.

“Tinubu should realise that he still has a burden hanging on his neck because of his emergence and should not double that burden but use the coming elections to begin to redeem himself.

“We, therefore, call on the president to be mindful of those who want to use him to disrupt the peace and stability in the state because of their desperate ambition.

“Bayelsans are not preparing for war but election. The emphasis should be ballot and not bullets. PVC and not Ak-47 rifles. We have lost innocent people in the past because of the role played by some security agents.”

The group also requested that Tinubu issue a warning to all the institutions in charge of the election process not to create tension and unnecessary panic before, during and after the election.