SERIAKE DICKSON CONVOY ATTACKED IN YENAGOA

Hoodlums yesterday attacked the campaign train of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson at Swali Market in Yenagoa.
The incident would have degenerated into a brawl, but for the intervention of security aides attached to the governor’s convoy.
Describing the attack as barbaric and undemocratic, the Director of Publicity, Restoration Campaign Organisation (RCO), Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, alleged that the incident showed that “the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a violent party.”
The statement reads: “The APC in Bayelsa State is not prepared for election. It is prepared for war, but as a disciplined party, as a peaceful party and with a governor like Dickson, who came to restore peace, we advise our supporters not to allow themselves to be provoked by the APC and its violence. We must preach peace and maintain law and order because we are a peaceful people.”
The RCO has described as deceitful, the campaign strategy adopted by the APC.
It advised the party to look for other sane and more dignifying means of campaigning.
The organisation urged Bayelsans and other residents to be wary of the antics of the APC members “who are desperate to grab power through the backdoor by using dubious means.”
A statement by Mr. Obuebite was reacting to the flash sanitation carried out by the APC, which, it said, “has now confirmed to everyone the earlier assertion that APC is indeed the so-called change party that is responsible for the heap of refuse around the state, particularly in Yenagoa.”
Obuebite described as embarrassing, such cruel campaign strategy of the APC, saying: “They decided to carry out the show of shame on a day set aside by the state sanitation authority for evacuation.”
He enjoined the APC and its candidate, Timipre Sylva, to look for other sane and more dignifying means of campaigning, “as this latest style will not secure for him, the votes required for victory.”
Obuebite said Governor Dickson was committed to good governance and ensuring a cleaner and healthy environment.
The Director, Media and Publicity, Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation (SICO), Chief Nathan Egba, alleged that Dickson directed his supporters to attack APC women and youths, who were on a rescue mission to evacuate refuse at dump sites in Yenagoa.
He said PDP’s statement was childish and diversionary.
Said Egba: “Everybody in Yenagoa knows that APC women came out since 7am today, clearing the refuse the Dickson administration has ignored for days.
“Swali dump site was one of the places the women went to. PDP members only went there to disrupt the exercise.
“They attacked our members and burnt one of the trucks APC hired to carry refuse to the dump site at Tombia.
“The APC campaign organisation received information that another set of women and youths were attacked at Amarata while clearing refuse. The windscreens of the trucks were smashed and vehicles were damaged by the rampaging PDP members.”