Why Bayelsa peace accord might fail – Diri
Douye Diri, the governor of Bayelsa State, South-South Nigeria, has expressed pessimism about the peace accord signed by himself and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva. The incumbent said the “peace accord is going to be ineffectual” because his main rival, Sylva, “has accused me, Douye Diri, of stockpiling arms in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA.”
“That should be the fattest lie of the year… if a man chooses to tell lies even in the face of this peace accord, then something is wrong,” Diri said.
He added, “I was really embarrassed when I got that information and everybody knows in this state, those who are given to violence and the flash red points, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA has never been a flash red point. I think the candidate of APC may have stockpiled arms on Kolokuma/Opokuma.”
Diri, at the same time, said he is “fully committed to peace.”
On his part, the APC’s Slyva promises to abide by the peace deal.
He said, “APC today has come to demonstrate that we are committed to peace in Bayelsa State, but we are not comfortable with the disposition of our opponents; there has been a lot of violence orchestrated by the PDP in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, but I’m hoping that the peace accord will make all of us stand back, and ensure there is peace in this election.
“We hope that other parties will obey and abide by the peace accord; having signed it, we believe it will at least change everybody not to do what they are planning to do because we hear all the plans and we hear thugs imported from other states.”
Bayelsa, along with Imo and Kogi states, is set to have its governorship poll on Saturday.
