Mr Udengs Eradiri, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, (LP) has rejected the processes and the results of the just-concluded Bayelsa governorship election that produced the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bayelsa Gov. Douye Diri as winner.
He stated this on Tuesday, in a press conference, in the LP Campaign Secretariat Etegwe, in Yenagoa the Bayelsa capital.
According to him, the election was held against the cardinal principles, laid-down procedures and ground rules that democratic elections to offices especially that of the governor of a state must be free, fair, credible and peaceful.
“The election of Saturday, November 11, was marred by massive and mind-blowing vote-buying. We were shocked that the state government converted all the polling units to market squares and business centres where votes were auctioned, haggled over, bargained for and purchased.
“The state government emptied our vault and carelessly deployed billions of our commonwealth to induce and compromise voters.
“Our state resources, which sources put at over N80bn were used to intimidate our traumatised people, who have been impoverished by this government.
“This government of Douye Diri deliberately weaponise poverty and forced the poeple to sell their consciences for money at the poll.
“I consider vote-buying a crime against humanity. I cannot engage in vote-buying because it is a demonstration of lack of performance, unpopularity, incompetence, leadership failure and cluelessness on the part of the buyer,” he said.
He said that the process adopted at the polling units encouraged buying and selling of votes. It made it difficult for voters to even collect their money and still vote their conscience.
“Each polling unit was clustered by agents of the government, who gave voters tags, ensured they turned their ballot papers to show the thumb-printed party, compelled them to write their names before paying them.
“Officials of INEC and security agencies at the polling units were all compromised to look the other way. they were all bought over to do the biddings of the government and it’s party, the PDP.
“I have no regrets. I am happy I ran for this election because it afforded me the opportunity to go round all the creeks, hamlets, communities to see the suffering of our people and the endemic poverty ravaging them.
“It allowed me to further appreciate the beauty, untapped potential and wealth of my state. It gave me many ideas of what should be done to elevate Bayelsa and emancipate our people from the shackles of poverty,” he said.
He commended Bayelsa people for their support, who defied the intimidation and rejected inducements to vote him. They are the real heroes of this election adding that their votes are the authentic and valid vote cast.