Achiever Peterson
June 11, 2015 – A pan-Ijaw socio-political organization in Bayelsa State, Ijaw Renaissance Group, has alerted the nation on the desperation of the opposition led by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to discredit the state government and its achievements.
The organization, specifically said, the opposition has recruited “special squad and experts in false propaganda, blackmail and falsehood to discredit the achievements of Governor Henry Seraike Dickson.”
The IRG, however warned the APC to stop the politically orchestrated plot in their own interest because they won’t have any impact in the reelection of the governor, who, it affirmed, had performed so well.
The General Secretary of IRG, Dr. Timothy Anibiowe, in a statement issued on Thursday in Yenagoa, stressed that since the Peoples Democratic Party lost the Presidency in the last general elections, the APC and its supporters had resorted to a myriad of media propaganda to run down the state government and its achievements using phoney platforms as representing leaders and youths of the state.
He stated that while democracy encourages opposition, the resort to blackmail, calumny and negative propaganda to score cheap political gains would be counter-productive because the people were now wiser to know the difference between the past and current realities in the state and as such the various media attacks against the government will not serve any positive purpose.
According to him, the dominance of the PDP in the state remained solid which it also said was put to test in the recent elections in the state where the ruling party won overwhelmingly as opposed to the marginal effect of both the APC and APGA, adding that the performance of the state government had continued to be a reference point in the voting preference of Bayesians and will prefer the ‘re-election of the incumbent government to any other party in the state.
The statement read in parts:”We find it important to draw the attention of Bayelsans and the public to the avalanche of sponsored media propaganda against the Restoration Government in Bayelsa State which are becoming a daily activity by opposition elements. We note the usual attribution of these media attacks to some phoney elders and youths in the state but, obviously they represent no other interest than the warped and corrupt relics of those discredited politicians of the past now struggling for any claim of relevance but the people are now wiser.
“Bayesians must have noticed that since President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP lost the centre, these so-called groups have intensified their campaign of calumny, blackmail and propaganda against the Restoration Government in Bayelsa State ably led by Governor Seriake Dickson. They are emboldened to do so because in their warped thinking, they believe the Dickson-led PDP government will be weakened and made to succumb to lose the forthcoming governorship election in the state but certainly they are mistaken.
“Some have even boasted that the Buhari-led APC government will be foolish enough to back their bloated ambition to wrest power by hook or crook from the PDP in the state by deploying the military and the full might of the federal power during the election. The opposition principals are daily spreading this line of dubious thinking to the effect that President Muhammadu Buhari is backing the mindless game of deceit, assuring the rather gullible public to believe them that the president has anointed them to be the next governor of the state on the banner of APC but this is a huge lie. It is a political subterfuge.
“We, therefore, implore all Bayesian to watch out closely for such characters because they are nothing but challatans and opportunists who most people know for no serious elrctoral value because they can hardly win their wards nor do they have any leadership contribution except their recollection of corruption and malfeasance against the good people of the state and as such they stand discredited.”
The statement emphasized the performance record of Governor Seriake Dickson in education, health, infrastructure, urban renewal, economic diversification and transparent and accountable stewardship which, it said, represented a constant reminder that the Restoration Government in the state meant well for the people and will further consolidate on these achievements in the second term.
“Regardless of the regular propaganda and blackmail against the Restoration Government, no one can wish away these achievements and why the authentic elders, youths and women in Bayelsa are honestly queuing behind Governor Dickson and routing for his ‘re-election rather than the false claim of failed opponents.
“Of course, their serial les were recently put to the test of the people who voted overwhelmingly for the PDP in the last national and state assembly elections, where the PDP delivered 3 Senators, 5 House of Reps members, 21 out of 24 PDP members in the state house of assembly with only two members in the combined APC and APGA opposition. Clearly, the PDP under Governor Dickson’s leadership is solidly on ground as a dominant party and contrary to the opposition propaganda, it remains to be seen how APC or any other opposition party can win the governorship election in Bayelsa State”, the IRG stated.
