As the January 9 rescheduled Bayelsa gubernatorial election poll in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area gets closer, a group, Buhari Support Group, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to warn the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Timipre Sylva, against using his (Buhari’s) name to intimidate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other federal government agencies.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its keader, Ebiowei Tarabina,, the group said Sylva was in the habit of using the president’s name to promote his ambition in a way that suggests he was trying to intimidate federal institutions, including the military and police, to do his illegal bidding.
The group said it would amount to allowing his name be tarnished if President Buhari did not call Sylva to order.
The statement read in part: “We ask President Buhari to prevail on Sylva to immediately stop using his name to promote his ambition in fraudulent ways since he does not have the permission of the President to do so.”
BSG said it appeared the APC candidate was trying to compromise the rerun polls rescheduled for January 9, stating: “We condemn Sylva’s behaviour because it amounts to fraud and a complete disservice to the office and reputation of Mr. President.
“Unknown to Mr. President, his name is being fraudulently used and so flagrantly to trick officials of various federal institutions like the army, police and INEC to undertake and embark on illegal duties regarding the supplementary election in Southern Ijaw slated for January 9. Sylva must stop this fraud forthwith, the President must necessarily call him to order for sanity.” It cautioned that if nothing was done to check Sylva, his action could result in total destruction of federal institutions.
“Since a nation is as strong as its institutions, efforts must be made to keep them above board at all times. It is important to allow the will of the people prevail at the rerun election by ensuring that the process is free, fair and credible.
“The sort of abuses to which Sylva has subjected federal institutions ahead of the supplementary election, particularly the military and the police, are inordinate and reprehensible.
“We therefore call on our beloved President to publicly take a stand to show to the world that he has no preferred candidate in the Bayelsa election and no one authorized to use his name to fraudulently advance any political ambition or undeservedly advance their electoral value.”