The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Chief David Lyon, on Tuesday shunned the peace meeting initiated by the standard bearers of all political parties in the November 16, 2019 Governorship election.
Thirty seven candidates were in attendance at a meeting held at Glorylanyd Castle behind Government House, Yenagoa
The meeting was initiated at the instance of the aspirants to ensure peace during and after the election.
The Candidates agreed to downplay their personal interest by collectively working together at ensuring that there is a prevailing peace in the State.
They also called on all the critical stakeholders and key players to consciously commit themselves to providing a level playing ground for all parties to participate in the elections without fear of repression, intimidation and coercion.
Briefing the newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Senator Douye Diri, disclosed that the meeting was convened at the instance of the candidates to foster peace during the forthcoming elections.
He stated that the candidates of the various political parties were mindful of the need to ensure that the existing peace in the state was not breached.
Senator Diri remarked that meeting was meant to provide an avenue for productive interactions among the various candidates with a view to charting the way forward for a peaceful, free, fair and credible polls in collaboration with other key stakeholders in the democratic space.
He said: “As Bayelsans, we are opposed to anything called violence from our different parties. And, as Bayelsans, like the former President Good luck Jonathan has been popularly quoted to have said, ‘our ambition is not worth the blood of any Bayelsans..
“Therefore we are opposed to the politics of intimidation, to the politics of crises, to the politics of violence. And so, as candidates representing our various political parties, we’ve agreed to partner in this wise to ensure a credible, free, fair and transparent elections”
In his contribution the candidate of the United Democratic Congress, Mr Silas Ikimi, stated that the key resolution adopted by all the parties present at the meeting was the imperatives of sustaining peace during and after the elections.
“As critical stakeholders, we have come to strategize so that the elections will be violence-free. It is indeed our desire that the elections are violent free.”
“We are not here to adopt anybody. We are here to rub minds since politics is not a do or die affair so that come November 16, there will be peace,” He said
Mr Ikimi stated that the candidates unanimously agreed to sensitize their followers towards imbibing the culture of tolerance and peace.
“There’s always a tomorrow. If its not your time now, tomorrow could be your time. We are trying to tell them to abide by what we all have agreed that nobody should take the laws into his hands, he explained.
