Christopher Uche, Yenagoa
Following a purported report that an Ex-militant leader, General Africa attacked the All Progressives Party (APC) governorship candidate in Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva, the ex-militant leader has denied the report saying it is fabricated.
There had been a sponsored story being circulated in Bayelsa state especially in the local radio that ex-militant Africa slapped the former Governor of the state and the APC Governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva in his Abuja home over choice of running mate.
Africa accused the rival Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate for the December 5 governorship election in the state, Governor Seriake Dickson, of sponsoring the “fictitious and malicious story”.
He said the story was a futile attempt to score cheap points ahead of the poll.
A statement in Abuja by Africa read, “My attention has been drawn to a story being circulated in the media by the Peoples Democratic Party to the effect that I was involved in an altercation or fracas with my party leader and All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva. The story is fictitious and malicious. At no time did such an incident happen between the APC leader and me or between him and any other member of APC.
“Chief Sylva is the APC leader and my leader, and he has the complete loyalty and support of the entire APC family in Bayelsa State. I have no reason to disrespect him or doubt his leadership of our great party. Neither does our chairman, Chief Tiwei Oruminighe, whose name was also used in the lie circulated by PDP in their desperation to ridicule APC and try to score cheap political points.
“The attempt to sponsor negative rumours about our governorship candidate, Chief Sylva, is, to all intents and purposes, the only campaign message and strategy of PDP and its jittery candidate, Hon. Seriake Dickson. But it is a huge joke that cannot save the drowning governor and his party from a crushing defeat on December 5. The distractive pursuit by PDP will never succeed in dividing APC in Bayelsa State or distracting its attention from the goal of rescuing Bayelsa from PDP’s regime of deception.”
