Nigeria, July 15, 2016 – The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State has accused Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Henry Dickson of blackmailing the judiciary over its failed bribery attempt .
In a statement, Chairman APC Elders Forum in the state, Engr. Bibobra Elijah noted that though the Bayelsa state governorship election tribunal is yet to give a date to deliver verdict, its attention has been drawn to clandestine moves allegedly orchestrated by Governor Seriake Dickson to hoodwink and blackmail the nation’s judiciary.
“Ordinarily, we thought these moves could be overlooked having in mind that blackmail and other unsavoury methods are not capable of swaying our revered judges”, the forum said, adding that a second look at the continued post trial campaign of calumny mindlessly embarked upon by the governor has the potentials of premeditated violence that needed to be stemmed.
“It is worrisome that a supposedly trained lawyer could abandon decency and preemptively accuse the nation’s judiciary of plotting a pattern of verdict which in his own reasoning, might likely favour the All Progressives Congress ( APC) and its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva.
“The sponsored publications making allusions to imaginary celebrations and jubilation by APC supporters in Bayelsa state are all part of the blackmail package put together by the governor to give a dangerous impression that our party is already privy to the verdict”, the elders said.
The forum added that to make matters worse, Governor Dickson in a live radio programme, incited civil disobedience if the tribunal’s verdict was not favourable to him.
“This is callous and brazen in all regards. We make bold to say that we remain resolute and our belief in the judiciary is unshaken. Our strength lies strongly on our evidence laid before the honourable tribunal and it is left for the judges to determine the weight of what was presented by each of the parties in the case.
“Perhaps, Governor Dickson’s resort to this sudden blackmail is arising from the reported failed attempts to bribe the tribunal. This is more so that he had earlier boasted that he would procure a favourable verdict for himself as far as the governorship case is concerned”, the elders said and appealed to the Nigerian public, especially the judiciary to disregard Governor Dickson’s current moves aimed at painting a picture that the APC has a fore knowledge of the tribunal’s verdict.
