Ahead of the December 5 governorship elections in Bayelsa State, political
heavyweights in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan and former governor of the state, Chief Diepreye
Alamieyeseigha have endorsed the re-election of Governor Seriake Dickson.
The party leaders including PDP acting National Chairman, Prince Uche
Secondus and former chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih,
who spoke during its stakeholders meeting and dinner in Yenagoa, stressed
that realities on ground clearly show that the present administration was
doing well in the state.
Others who delivered goodwill messages at the event include Secretary, PDP
Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin; Vice Chairman of the party, South
South, Dr Cairo Ojougboh and Wing Commander Peter Biakpara.
Senator Foster Ogola, Hon. Douye Diri, Air Vice Marshal Larry Koinyan
(Retd) and King Amalate Turner, the Paramount Ruler of Opume in Ogbia
Local Government Area of the state also endorsed Dickson.The meeting was
also attended by PDP chieftains including Senator Stella Omu,
Director-General, PDP Governors Forum, Osaro Onaiwu; House of
Representatives member from Taraba, Hon. Rima Shawalu, his Plateau state
counterpart, Hon. Solomon Maren and the Secretary of PDP South South Zone
among others.
Addressing the party faithfuls, Jonathan said that contrary to media
reports and speculations, the PDP, which has been in control of the state
since its inception in 1999, still has what it takes to win the
forthcoming governorship election convincingly.
He said though some members of the party defected to the opposition All
Progressives Congress, the PDP family would not lose sleep over the
development as it remains united and strong in its resolve to clinch
victory in the December 5th polls.
Jonathan, who promised to attend a rally where Governor Dickson is
expected to publicly declare his intention to seek re-election on Tuesday
this week, however, advised the defectors to retrace their steps back to
the PDP.
He said, “We are here because what is happening in Bayelsa State now is
similar to what happened in the state in 2003 when my boss then, Chief
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was to contest his second tenure. A number of
people went to Abuja and threw up all kinds of stories.
“People may go to Abuja and say all kinds of things but the PDP in Bayelsa
is very strong. We are committed and we will win our election. Few people
might have left but the party is still strong and united. Well, we will
continue to talk to our brothers and sisters because politics is all about
consensus building.It is not a one man business.”
Prince Uche Secondus urged members of the party not to entertain any fears
that the elections would be rigged, stressing that the National Working
Committee and other organs of the party would put in all necessary
machinery to ensure a free and fair electoral
process.
He also assured aspirants who are jostling for the party’s ticket of the
PDP national leadership’s resolve to conduct a credible and zero expenses
primaries in the state and thereafter support the successful candidate to
run an effective electioneering campaigns in all the nooks and crannies of
the state.
Quoting the holy Bible, the PDP chairman urged Bayelsans not to repay the
party that provided the platform for their son and brother as the first
minority to emerge president in the political history of the country with
evil by voting for any of the opposition parties in the forthcoming
governorship election.
Secondus said, “We have what it takes to mount enough pressure on the
Federal Government in such a way that INEC cannot rig you out. Not even
the police can do that because the police and army belong to the Federal
Government and not the APC. So they cannot be used to rig you out.
“The Director-General of the State Security Service, Lawal Daura, has
shown that he is a member of APC and he is serving out the APC agenda but
we’ve warned that we are running out of patience. The President should
call Daura to order. Hence when we move on the streets, theinternational
community will see that the APC-led Federal Government has anti-democratic
tendencies. And that should be stopped.”