Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa
The people of Kolokuma/Opokuma, the local government area of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, have vowed to vote for Chief David Lyon, the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The people, in a statement signed by the Secretary, Media and Publicity Committee, APC Campaign Council, Doifie Buokoribo, complained that Diri emerged as a candidate of PDP without consulting them.
Speaking on behalf of the people of the area in Sabageria during APC’s governorship campaign rally, the Alternate Director General of the council, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, said that the PDP deceived the people of Kolokuma/Opokuma during its last primary election that produced Senator Diri.
He said that the area had an illustrious son they wanted as the governorship candidate, but the incumbent governor of the state, Seriake Dickson, gave the PDP ticket to Diri without consulting them.
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Brisibe said the PDP candidate was not known to protect the interest of his people and could not be trusted to attract any form of development to the people, adding that there was no development in the area under Dickson.
He said: “They claim we should support them because they have given us a governorship candidate. But did they consult us before giving us the governorship candidate? I urge you to vote for APC because we are sure of empowerment and development when David Lyon attains power.”
Addressing the crowd that turned out for the rally, Lyon assured the people that if voted into office on November 16, he would complete the Sabageria/Polako bridge project that had been abandoned for eight years.
Lyon, who was received by traditional rulers, elders, women and youths, promised to provide soft loans and grants for small and medium scale businesswomen from the area.
He said: “I am an Ijaw man like you, and I know your problems because they are the same problems I face everyday as a person. When I become governor, I assure you that I will work hard to solve your problems.
“First, I will complete the abandoned Polako/Sabageria bridge to connect you to Yenagoa City. I will build befitting schools, hospitals and roads to ease your challenges.
“I will sand fill parts of Okoloba community in order to ensure that the annual flood that renders you homeless and jobless as a people don’t disturb you anymore. For our women, I will establish small-scale businesses for you. I will provide farm tools for farmers to sustain their means of livelihood.”
The APC campaign Coordinator for Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government, Ndutimi Komonibo, said the best bet for the council was to vote for the APC.
Said he: “That is why God has sent us a David to liberate our people from our enemies that don’t want our progress. My people, you know that our people are very intelligent. The governor, without consulting us, brought one of our sons as a candidate.
“To me that is temptation. Are you ready to vote for that temptation? Our problem is that if Douye Diri becomes governor, he will become Dickson’s stooge and we will continue to suffer as we suffered under Dickson’s administration.
“So if you ask me between Douye and development which will I choose? I will choose development because the PDP has not and will never bring development to us.”
The APC campaign train later went to Opukuma, Odi and Kaiama. At each place, highly enthusiastic supporters, who endorsed the APC governorship candidate, met them. In turn, the APC team preached the message of a better Bayelsa for all.G
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