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Tag: Bayelsa State

  • PDP bigger than any individual, says Gov Diri

    PDP bigger than any individual, says Gov Diri

    Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is greater than any individual and that its internal challenges can be resolved if members commit to addressing them.

    Speaking to reporters at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja after the inauguration of the party’s South-South zonal caretaker committee led by Elder Emma Ogidi, Diri emphasized that the responsibility to tackle internal disputes lies with party members, not just its leadership.

    Diri, who also chairs the South-South PDP Governors Forum, stressed that for the PDP to remain competitive as Nigeria’s oldest party, it must focus on resolving internal conflicts and strengthening unity.

    He said: “For me, we have to look inwards before accusing those outside our party. We have to first fix our internal issues. 

    “It is very easy to point accusing fingers. But the PDP has to sit back and tackle its internal challenges. That is only when we can stand to compete with others.

    “I want the PDP to be competitive with other political parties. We are the oldest political party in Nigeria. So we have no reason to be accusing outsiders.”

    On whether the party’s leadership had the political will to discipline those fomenting trouble, Diri averred that such would reside with the members.

    Read Also: Bayelsa gov Diri proceeds on annual leave Monday 

    “We are all members of the party. The moment we all resolve that we need to fix our party, there cannot be any one person that is bigger than the party,” he said.

    Diri stressed that the newly inaugurated zonal caretaker committee had the mandate of the National Working Committee to look into every issue affecting the party in the South-South.

    The Bayelsa helmsman expressed the hope that the event was a step forward for the party.

    The governor added: “In our zone, which is the only area in the country you have four governors of the party, we have all resolved and are together on this. You can see the deputy governor of Delta State, who represented the governor. I have also received messages from the governors of Akwa Ibom and Rivers. 

    “It shows that we are together and what we need to do is to show leadership and work with the zonal committee so that our zone will again become safe and strong for the PDP.”

  • 15 months after, missing pastor’s skeleton found in his home

    15 months after, missing pastor’s skeleton found in his home

    Residents of Jacob Beredugo Street in Osiri, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, have been thrown into shock following the discovery of the body of 45-year-old Pastor Esere Okilo in his residence, 15 months after he went missing.

    The deceased Okilo is from Nembe-Bassambiri in the Nembe Local Government Area.

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    The body was discovered by one of his female relatives, who was having an accommodation challenge and decided to check on the residence of his brother.

    She had reportedly looked through the window and found the skeleton of his brother sitting on the toilet with only his singlet.

    The discovery, on Wednesday night, threw a lot of the residents into confusion as many claimed they were not aware and did not perceive any foul odour of his decomposition.

  • Police secure ceasefire as 10 group leaders sign undertakings over cult killings

    Police secure ceasefire as 10 group leaders sign undertakings over cult killings

    The Bayelsa Police Command has initiated a conflict resolution tactics to secure a ceasefire from warring cult groups in the State.

    The command warned that further conflicts and killings would lead to automatic arrest and prosecution of identified leaders.

    Rival cult clashes have resulted in the killings of seven persons in the last one week in Igbogene, Amarata, Swali and Ekeki areas of Yenagoa, the state capital.

    They were as a result of struggle for control of the share of revenue from the newly-relocated state Transport Terminal located at Igbogene, on the outskirts of Yenagoa.

    It was gathered the Igbogene axis where the bus terminal is located is under the control of the Greenlanders cult group but other cult groups such as the Icelanders, Vikings, Bobos and Dee-bams are struggling to have a share of such expected revenues.

    Our correspondent gathered Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, who was miffed by the rising cases of killings, ordered the tactical team of the Operation Puff Adder led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo to invite all the leaders of the cult groups and issued them a caution.

    Read Also: Police officer found dead after lodging in Abuja hotel with lady

    It was also gathered the leaders of the cult groups, after declining the invitation out of fear of arrest, approached the top echelon of the police to meet with the Commissioner of Police over the issue.

    At the meeting, which started on Monday and ended on Tuesday, about 10 heads of cult groups in the state, agreed that “Forthwith, all cases of violence and killings will stop. They also agreed to send messages to all their foot soldiers on the agreement. They agreed that the police should hold any leader of any cult group identified in any further violence responsible.”

    But a reliable source within the Police Command said the undertaking was signed to bring a halt to the killings and bloodshed.

    The source, however, said the “investigation into individuals responsible for the killings of the persons was ongoing and they would be brought to book.”

  • Bayelsa to build 25,000 capacity stadium in Yenagoa

    Bayelsa to build 25,000 capacity stadium in Yenagoa

    The Bayelsa State Government has pledged commitment to building more sports facilities in the state as preparations for a 25,000-capacity FIFA-approved stadium kick-off.

    The Honourable Commissioner for Sports Development, Bayelsa State, Daniel Igali, made the statement  during a radio programme  over the weekend.

    According to Igali, establishing new facilities is a vital tool to foster unity, improve public health, and create opportunities for talent discovery and economic growth in the state.

    “We are planning for a 25,000 seater capacity multipurpose stadium, and that means it’s not going to be for only soccer. It will be one of the most modern stadiums because we will have a swimming pool, basketball, badminton, table, and long tennis courts, among others.

    “The stadium will be FIFA  complainant, VAR complainant, and it will be accessible for people with disabilities. So, we are looking at a stadium that will attract international competitions and something Bayelsans would be proud about, ” Igali noted.

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    He further  expressed hope that the new Stadium and other sporting projects would be completed in no distant time due to the passionate drive of His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri, in providing a platform where the state’s budding athletes can practice and showcase their skills.

    “One thing different with this Government led by His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri is that he doesn’t just give instructions. He ensures that such instructions are backed up with actual funding. So, before the expiration of the Governor’s tenure, these projects would be completed, ” Igali assured.

    The World and Olympic champion also hinted that the government is currently undertaking multiple sporting projects,  including Basketball Courts for multiple time Nestle Milo Secondary School National Basketball champions, St Jude’s Girls Secondary School and Bishop Dimeari Grammar School .

    While other projects at the Ijaw National Academy and Asoama, as well as mapped out areas for sporting facilities in the state, will commence soon.

  • Bayelsa tasks athletes to surpass NSF record

    Bayelsa tasks athletes to surpass NSF record

    Bayelsa State government has said it is working round the clock for the state athletes to do well at  next year’s National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    The Acting Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made this known during a meeting with coaches, athletes and staffers of the Ministry of Sports Development and the Sports Council at the Indoor Hall of the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa.

    He noted that the meeting became imperative due to the success recorded in the last National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta State, stressing that the state wants to consolidate on the previous achievements with early preparation of athletes

    According to him, since 2020 the performance of athletes have witnessed improvement due to the dedication of athletes and coaches in the state, urging the National Sports Commission to avoid unconventional practices in the collation of results from the various sports federations.

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    Ewhrudjakpo acknowledged that the welfare of athletes remained the government”s utmost priority, stressing that the prosperity administration is using sports as a vehicle to curb crime and criminality in the State.

    Responding to requests, the Acting Governor stated that a new bus would be provided for the sports council to execute their trips as well as equipment for the athletes to train.

    On facilities, he said though the state is not where it ought to be in terms of sports infrastructure, government is poised to complete the construction of a wrestling gym and basketball courts at the St Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata and the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School (BDGS) Ovom in Yenagoa.

    Ewhrudjakpo assured the athletes that the government would soon absorb those athletes that are employable to enable them earn salaries in place of stipends.

  • EU-funded NGOs train Bayelsa SPAs, security agencies on conflict resolution

    EU-funded NGOs train Bayelsa SPAs, security agencies on conflict resolution

    A non-governmental organisation, Search for Common Ground (Search) Nigeria in collaboration with SDN, PIND and AAPW has organised a capacity building for Bayelsa State Peace Architecture (SPA) on conflict resolution mechanism in communities, councils and at the state level.

    The programme, entitled, ‘Early Warning,Early Response (EWER)’, sponsored by the European Union, drew participants from the CPA, LPA and SPA as well as police and other security agencies.

    Dr. Philip Kalio, the capacity building and training coordinator on the project, Community Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta, said the training aimed to strengthen the state’s peace architecture to effectively address conflict issues brought to them by local and community peace structures.

    Kalio said the two-day training focused on improving the knowledge and skills of stakeholders in the state’s security sector to enable them to respond to early warning signs of potential violent conflicts.

    He stated: “By building their capacity, the programme seeks to empower them to tackle the recurring criminality and violence that have plagued the region, ultimately helping prevent violence before it escalates.

    “Peace is a crucial foundation for development, and the training emphasizes the importance of the state-level peace architecture understanding the objectives of the project and how to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

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    “It highlights the significance of early warning systems in detecting brewing conflicts and addressing them before they spiral into violence. The involvement of key security actors, including the police, state security heads, and government representatives, ensures that the state has the necessary resources and expertise to manage peace effectively.”

    On the way forward after the end of the project next year, Dr Kalio said it involved ensuring that the peace architecture, which includes various government departments, becomes self-sustaining.

    He stated: “As the Search for Common Ground project nears its completion, it is vital for the government to take ownership of the initiative and ensure its continuity beyond the project’s timeline, so that peacebuilding efforts continue in the long term.”

    Also speaking, Dr. Enebrator Preye, Secretary of the State Peace Architecture (SPA) in Bayelsa and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Bayelsa State Council, highlighted that this programme is part of a broader effort to promote peace in the Niger Delta region, covering Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers states.

    He said the project is implemented in collaboration with Search for Common Ground, SDI, PIND, and the European Union.

    He said the essence of the training was to equip the SPA network — a collection of stakeholders drawn from various categories of leadership from community peace architecture, local government peace architecture.

    He said: “The idea behind it is that there is no conflict that does not have a location. So, if you trace it to a location, from that location, the CPA should be able to deal with that. If it is above them, they move it to the LPA and from there to the SPA which superintends as the head.

    “If there is anything above the SPA, we can recommend to the state governor or to the security agencies for their attention and action.

    “One thing we have found out overtime is cultism, the relationship between cultism and crime on one part, the relationship between drug and peace building.

    “At the SPA level, we are putting our heads together to see how we can put all these things together to form a template and that is what brought us to the need for the creation of Bayelsa Peace Commission to be driven using the NGO lens so that if this project is wrapped up, there is need for us to sustain the legacy of peace as without peace there can be no development.”

  • Bayelsa APC stakeholders inaugurate LGA community development initiative

    Bayelsa APC stakeholders inaugurate LGA community development initiative

    •Task members to spread Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to locals

    Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, inaugurated the local government area leaderships of the Community Peace and Development Initiative (CDI).
    Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, the state Coordinator of CDI, Hon. Ebi Orubo, said the occasion marked a new chapter in the organisation’s resolve to impact positively on the lives of the people.
    Orubo said they desired to build CDI to become a beacon of hope and a catalyst for progress in all the communities.
    He stated: “Through our unwavering commitment to political, social and economic empowerment, we believe that CDI will touch countless lives, igniting a spark of change that will ripple outwards
    “As we inaugurate you today, we acknowledge the immense responsibility on your shoulders. You must imbibe the legacies of unwavering commitment, passion and dedication. We have confidence in you.”
    Speaking further, he said at CDI they believed that power belongs to the grassroots, saying that by the inauguration they had become the foundation upon which they should build to achieve success.
    Orubo stated: “We believe and trust unequivocally in the Renew Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Therefore, CDI intends to build impactful collaboration and initiatives that will align with the policies of the Federal Government, especially in human capital development.

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    “Together, let us work towards a future where every individual has the opportunity to thrive, where communities are empowered to shape their destinies and where sustainable development becomes a reality for all.”
    In his speech, the Chairman of the occasion, Senator Denyanbofa Dimaro, said the development of the people is their topmost priority, saying power must go to the people, development must be seen at the community level.
    Dimaro, who is also the Bayelsa representative on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said: “After election, people no longer ask about the campaign promises they made to the electorate, because they are being given stipends that will not take them anywhere.”
    Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, said one of the major assignments of the people inaugurated by the CDI is to take the message of hope into all the local governments, the ward levels and community levels of Bayelsa State and tell them that there is hope.

  • Lagos, Bayelsa hail SoftAlliance for technological innovations

    Lagos, Bayelsa hail SoftAlliance for technological innovations

    The Lagos and Bayelsa state governments have hailed SoftAlliance, a technology firm, for its innovations which has contributed to the ease of doing business and government operations in several states.

    The firm developed the application used by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation and Vehicle Inspection Service which captures motorists that jump traffic light and sends messages to offenders. 

    It also developed the technology used by Oracle and Alpha-Beta companies in Lagos and other six states for revenue generation.

    At the gala and awards night to mark its 20th anniversary, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Taxation and Revenue, Opeyemi Ogunbo, who represented Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, hailed SoftAlliance for being ‘a pioneering force in technological innovations’.

    He said: “SoftAlliance has emerged as a pioneering force in technology. It has set a benchmark for others to follow. We acknowledge your commitment to excellence. You have been at the forefront of innovation in Lagos State and the government will continue to recognise your contributions to our revenue collection.”

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    Technical Adviser on Treasury, Tax and Revenue Matters to the Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Seipulou, said the state has had a good working relationship with SoftAlliance in the last 16 years.

    “As a state, we are interested in transparency and accountability, and that people should have value for their money. We have partnered with SoftAlliance for over 16 years. The processes for payroll in Bayelsa have been handled by SoftAlliance. We have computerised our entire payroll through SoftAlliance.

    We have had a wonderful working relationship with them over the years and they have proven to be a reliable technology company,” he said.

    An entrepreneur, Folake Aina, said she has been using SoftPay, an app developed by SoftAlliance, to run her business which has contributed to the smooth operation of her business.

    “SoftAlliance has helped us to streamline our operations through their app. They have come down to our level. They were able to tweak their applications to fit into our operation. With SoftPay, we are able to seamlessly pay our workers salaries without issues,” she said 

     Managing Director of SoftAlliance, Bisi Aina, thanked the Lagos State government for believing in its ability to deliver for the past 20-years.

    According to him, the company has been at the forefront of providing digital transformation in Nigeria. He noted that the company’s Chairman, Dr. Tunde Badejo, 20-years ago, with other consultants in Diaspora, began a digital revolution in Nigeria with ‘a mission to deliver innovative and transformative technology solutions for Lagos State government’.

    “The mission was simple: to empower and unlock the full potential of Lagos State government through the power of IT. This started through a group of consultants in the Diaspora led by Dr. Tunde Badejo to implement Oracle ERP. Subsequently, SoftAllaince was born to ensure the continuous stabilisation and adoption of the new platform.

    “Our vision for the next decade is to remain at the forefront of digital transformation, pioneering innovative solutions that help businesses thrive in an increasingly digital and connected world. 

    “We will continue to invest in new technologies, expand our service offerings, and strengthen our partnerships. Our focus will remain on delivering measurable value, improving efficiency, and driving sustainable growth for our clients,” he said.

    Some of the projects implemented by the firm include payroll systems, automatic number plate administration for transportation management, cloud infrastructure and ERP implementations.

  • Gunboat democracy

    In Bayelsa State, gangsterism just trumped due process in the parliament, the supposed bastion of political civility. Some say it was power high drama in the swamps. Others say it was intra-party blocs, jostling for power, gone awry. But whatever it was, it was a huge embarrassment to Nigerian democracy, which should be condemned by all.

    Still, whatever happened – at least the build-up before the clattering of guns in the vicinity of parliament – was not unknown to democracy and its endless tensions. Douye Diri just won the candidacy of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the November 16 Bayelsa gubernatorial election. Both Diri and Tonye Isenah, Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, are from the same local government: Kolokuma-Opoluma.

    So, intra-party lobbies want Isenah to quit his speakership, since the governorship could soon go to that local government – if the party wins. But what happens if the party loses – a legitimate question Isenah put to a television interviewer? Still the lobbies insist Isenah must quit, thus giving the party broader voter appeal, as part of the strategy to make the party win. Though that appears unfair, since the cards are stacked against the embattled speaker, it is not unknown in political trade-offs. Besides, the Bayelsa PDP’s official position was that Isenah should resign or be impeached.

    Another side to the riveting story is the alleged ploy by Governor Seriake Dickson to secure a future in the Nigerian Senate, as his gubernatorial peers are wont to do, after doing the maximum two four-year terms allowed by the Constitution. The governor’s ambition is said to be a major reason powering the push for Speaker Isenah to quit.

    Again, asking a Speaker to quit under one year, after you have secured eight years as governor; and are busy plotting many more years in the Senate, can hardly be said to be fair or equitable.  Still, even that is not unheard of, in Nigeria’s rough-and-tough politics, often skewed towards brazen injustice, rather than equity and fair play.

    As for Isenah, he is perfectly within his right to resist – or succumb to – the pressure.  Incidentally, he appeared to be leaning both ways, before the booming guns. Newspapers reported the widely held belief that he was expected to resign earlier. Indeed, he admitted that much, in a television interview with a Channels reporter, saying he told his colleagues that might be the last time he was addressing them as Speaker.

    But at the end of the day, he did not quit. He only adjourned the House sine die (indefinitely) and ensured the sergeant-at-arms took away the mace. That spurned the pressure to resign. He said he saw no reason to, since he had committed no crime to warrant such. So, the Speaker foxily outsmarted the lobbies pushing him to quit, thus throwing a procedural log in the process. Still, since his emergence as Speaker was also a product of political trade-offs, he too knew there would be consequences.

    What is absolutely unacceptable, however, is the other side resorting to strong arm tactics – from the invading gunmen, sending the people running helter-skelter and throwing the hallowed vicinity into panic and confusion, to the so-called “impeachment” of the Speaker and the “election” of another “Speaker”, Monday Obolo, of Southern Ijaw Constituency 2. In calmer climes where the so-called representatives respect their electors, that would have sparked a serious constitutional crisis.

    Though the process that produced Obolo would appear to have featured the majority of the House, it would appear procedurally a no-brainer. For starters, it was without the mace, the ultimate symbol of procedural authority: a mace, belonging to a local government, was said to have been contrived. That Governor Dickson had lauded the purported change of guards, without condemning the gangsterish process, speaks of illicit executive interference in the assembly’s affairs. That is a rape on the doctrine of separation of powers, on which presidential democracy is anchored.

    Indeed, what is happening in Bayelsa is a procedural rot: the de jure Speaker (Isenah) is matched against the de facto one (Obolo) – de facto, because the executive, with the colluding bloc of the party in tow, may well decide to muscle Isenah into submission. That would be a classic confrontation between powerless law and reckless impunity. But that would endear our democracy to no one.

    Indeed PDP, the former ruling federal party that lost its place basically to the impunity of raping its own internal laws, ought to have advised its Bayelsa members to better behaviour. Besides, it is less than two months to the election. So much galloping violence so close to a crucial election is no good news to anyone.

    The local Bayelsa party members must put heads together to peacefully resolve this brewing crisis: impunity-powered rule of law is a cynical oxymoron and travesty that cannot stand, without something crucial giving in.

    The security agencies too should take it as early warning signal to dig in and secure the coming governorship election. The people of Bayelsa have the right to a free, fair and peaceful election, in which they can choose their next governor, without smashed skulls, hewn limbs and lost lives.

  • How far can Bayelsa APC peace panel go?

    AS the peace panel set up to pacify displeased members commences its reconciliatory efforts, Sam Egburonu, Associate Editor, reports on how far the committee can go and the likely effects on the fortunes of the party

    Since David Lyon emerged the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State after the September 4 primary, informed observers of the intrigues that threw him up have expressed fear that unless the leadership of the party takes a bold step to forestall likely in-fighting, the party’s fortunes in the November 16 governorship election may be negatively affected.

    Trouble started as soon as the Bayelsa APC governorship primary election committee, headed by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, declared Lyon as the winner of the primary because most of the other frontline aspirants, like the immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, and Preye Aganaba, a founding member, among others, voiced their dissatisfaction with the decision. Aganaba also approached the court to seek nullification of the primary.

    Concerned members of the party and other stakeholders have since called the leader of the party in the state, Timipre Sylva, and other leaders for reconciliation as a way of ensuring that the party will enter the governorship race a united family.

    Last week, the party set up an 18-member committee chaired by Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, a former Chief of Staff to Governor Seriake Dickson, and one of the founding PDP’s members in the state, who cut ties with both Dickson and PDP in 2015 when he defected to APC alongside many of his supporters.

    Confirming the party’s moves to reconcile displeased members, the Bayelsa State APC Chairman, Jothan Amos, said the party would work hard to avoid a repeat of what happened in Rivers State where the party was barred from presenting candidates because of suits filed by some members.

    As he puts it, “We are talking with them, in every political process of such nature there must be some aggrieved minds.

    “We have set up a committee to handle that with a clear template but we are not going to tele-guide them.”

    The Nation investigation during the week however shows that some of the major aggrieved members are still determined to fight the party during the election. We however found out that the Ikiogha-led committee has commenced consultations. A source close to the leadership of APC told us on Friday that the “committee was at the APC National Secretariat yesterday (Thursday) and is on the way to Bayelsa where the actual work would be done.” Although our source refused to give details on what transpired in Abuja, he explained that the meeting at the Abuja Secretariat is coming on the heels of reports that one of the aggrieved aspirants, Aganaba, may have transferred his case to Abuja. Our source said he understands the matter would be coming up early this week in Abuja.

    Commenting on how far the panel is likely to go in reconciling the matter before the election and the likely effect on APC if the aggrieved aspirants refused to back down, Comrade Wilfred Frank Ogbotobo, one of the APC founding fathers in Bayelsa State and the Director-General of Timipre Sylva Support Organisation (TSO), told The Nation in a telephone chat on Friday that the party is set to win the election even if the aggrieved members refused to see reason to make the necessary sacrifices.

    As he puts it, “In my opinion, as much as it is a welcome idea, the so-called reconciliation move is an intellectual exercise. When you talk about APC in Bayelsa State, it’s about lots of sacrifices.

    “The Bayelsa APC was built on sacrifices made by the Grassroots Movement. His Excellency, Chief Timipre Marlyn Sylva, made incalculable sacrifices to raise the party edifice.

    “From 2015 to date, a lot of ambitions have been sacrificed to ensure that the party anchored and made its presence felt in Bayelsa politics.

    “Moreover, the mode of primary adopted for the governorship primary was an outcome of a popular decision, and it was the same mode that was adopted in the first governorship primary of the APC in Bayelsa State.

    “Hence, I don’t think any loyal and committed party faithful will go against the party’s direction at this point except that person is acting a script that is aimed at subverting the success of the Bayelsa State APC.”

    On the chances of the party in the face of the disagreements, Ogbotobo said, “We are all happy that we were able to produce a very popular and acceptable candidate for the party that Bayelsans are feverishly looking forward to welcome as their next governor. Honestly, no true party faithful will want to go against the momentum.”

    The disagreement notwithstanding, most insiders said the APC candidate, David Lyon appears to be enjoying increasing acceptability. But as The Nation reported recently, there are other stakeholders who have warned that “Lyon’s popularity alone can’t win Bayelsa for APC.”

    For example, we quoted ex-militant leader and chieftain of the APC in Bayelsa State, Eris Paul, popularly known as Ogunboss, as warning leaders of the party against carefree attitude in their approach to win the November 16 governorship election.

    He urged the national and state leaders of the party not to underrate the Peoples Democratic Party and its state leader, Governor Seriake Dickson, ahead of the poll.

    “I am shocked when some party faithful claim that we have gotten the crowd, the numbers and even the publicity is on our side. But that does not get the job done. The might, the crowd, the number and media publicity are good designs. A good design in politics is a great combination of common sense, but not enough to say you have already arrived

    “Yes, you have the chances and opportunity that are knocking on our door as APC, but the most common way people give out their chances is by thinking they have arrived when they have not,” he warned in Yenagoa.

    As the peace panel arrives Bayelsa this weekend, even as the case challenging the result of the APC primary kicks off in Abuja, concerned stakeholders said the leaders must do everything useful so that the party will not suffer the fate it suffered in Rivers State. Ogbotobo confided that the party leadership in the state is aware of the danger and is doing everything to ensure that APC will participate in and win the governorship election.