Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, and the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have commenced a reconciliatory process to resolve grievances arising from the just-concluded governorship primaries.
A statement by Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei, confirmed that some frontline aspirants met with the governor after the internal poll that produced Senator Douye Diri as candidate.
The governor was also quoted in the statement as saying that the leadership of the party would make deliberate efforts to contact all the other aspirants with a view to bringing them back effectively to the PDP family.
Some of the aspirants, who met with the governor, are the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd), Keniebi Okoko, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Talford Ongolo.
Dickson commended the 21 contestants, who participated in the gubernatorial primaries for their show of political maturity and sportsmanship.
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He reappointed Ongolo, who resigned to contest the governorship primaries, as the Chief of Staff.
The governor recalled that all those who indicated interest to contest the governorship were allowed to go into the race, carry out their campaigns without victimization from the government they were serving.
Dickson, who spoke during the delayed monthly Praise night for the month of August, advocated tolerance and maturity among the political class in the gubernatorial election scheduled for November 16, 2019 in the state.
He also called on the Indepedent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant agencies to ensure the conduct of free, fair and credible gubernatorial elections.
The governor advised those with ambitions to occupy political office to start the process with prayers to seek the face of God before following up with consultations.
He said that those with the desire to serve the people through public offices should cultivate the habit of serving the people and giving the Almighty God his place in praise as a starting point noting that God is the true source of power.
He said: “You all have seen what has happened, how once again God pushed back the proud waters and the powerful people who thought that they can get this thing, the governorship, by force.
“And I will always remind them that power comes from God.
“If you want power, you go on your knees to pray, to consult and anyone who desires to lead, must first serve and we thank God for what he has done but this us only a first phase”.
The governor described the primaries conducted by the state chapter of the Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which produced Chief David Lyon, an oil surveillance security contractor, as a sham.
He said: “That is an imposition my dear friends. Let’s call it by its proper name – an imposition.
“What has happened at the other side is an imposition and I want to sympathize with all the very qualified people who offer themselves for service but have been rudely and crudely shut out and down in the most criminal manner and in all of these to produce a small toothless Lion.”
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