Bayelsa Guber Polls: MEND Warns Presidency Against Rigging, Declares Support For PDP Candidate

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against any attempt to rig the forthcoming governorship election in Bayelsa.

The militant group warned that any attempt to rig the election would re-awake “a sleeping dog”.

MEND stated that to ensure that the election was free, fair and credible, it would dispatch 500 members to monitor the exercise, particularly in the creeks, just as it declared its support for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate and incumbent Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson.

The group’s position was contained in a statement issued yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by its Acting Chairman, Prince Amaibi Horby (aka General Busta Rhymes) and 12 others.

The statement reads: “We have endorsed Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson for a second term as Bayelsans gear up for December 5, 2015 election. Dickson, over the years, has performed creditably in office as he has driven development to the hinterland.

“The Ijaw people are solidly behind him in this forthcoming election, and we will ask our members to monitor the election in the state, especially in the vast creeks of Bayelsa, where we are deep-rooted to avoid intimidation and possible rigging by the enemies of Ijawland and their Abuja collaborators.

“We wish to admonish President Muhammadu Buhari not to engage election riggers in the governorship election as such vicious and surreptitious antics shall not only be vehemently resisted, but may also lead to waking the sleeping dog from sleep.

“We call on the United Nations and, indeed, the international community to bear us witness as we are not unaware of the planned use of ‘federal might’ to intimidate the people of Bayelsa State in favour of their chosen candidate”.

The statement pointed out that Dickson is a product of the Ijaw struggle for resource control and self-determination in the Niger Delta, before venturing into active politics, stating that he had contributed immensely to the socio-political and economic development of the Ijaw nation.

“We are mustering total support for him because he is a product of the Ijaw struggle for resource control and self-determination in the Niger Delta. So far, he has contributed immensely to the vast socio-political and economic development of the Ijaw nation”, MEND added.