The Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday, boasted that only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win future elections in the state.
The governor advised other party members including loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to renounced their membership and join the PDP if they had ambitions to contest any future electoral positions in the state.
Dickson spoke at the Peace Park, where a crowd of PDP loyalists mobilised to celebrate his first year of his second term and five years in office as the governor.
The governor, who danced to Ijaw war songs before addressing a mammoth crowd of his supporters said: “This state is unshakably PDP. When they tried to be funny, don’t worry, the reason I am Ofurumapepe leading this party is that when the battle never tough, Ofurumapepe doesn’t come out.
“Anybody who wants to contest an election, let me put you on notice, the only platform that can win an election in this state under my leadership is the PDP. Which election will be tougher than the one we won with me as the candidate?
“We will lead the party to win all elections in the state, God willing. We have nothing to hide. We are busy chasing the challenges of government in Bayelsa and at this time our hands as we have always said are opened.
“The doors of PDP in Bayelsa are open even for those who made mistakes, our big umbrella is waiting to receive all of them back. If they don’t come back no way for elections in the state. Tell them. If they come back, accept them”.
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The Peace Park, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, was the destination for all lovers of Dickson, as he marked his anniversary.
It was fanfare as a crowd of supporters adorned in their best attires marched the streets of Yenagoa to show Dickson love on Valentine day.
As early as 7:00 a.m, supporters of the Restoration Government from various local government areas started processions from Igbogene, the outskirts of Yenagoa to Peace Park, located opposite Government House, Onopa, a distance of over 40km.
The residents who marched according to their local government areas of Brass, Yenagoa, Nembe, Kolokuma-Opokuma, Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor and Ogbia, defied the scorching sun as they, drummed, sang and danced on the streets.
Hundreds of groups including youths carrying pro-Dickson‘s banners, placards and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) materials to rejoice with their governor.
Women were the most colourful in their different uniform wrappers, blouses and scarfs with a touch of red, Valentine’s colour.
The venue was congested with youths, all political appointees, federal and state legislators, national and state PDP’s executive members, security operatives, journalists and traditional rulers.
But prior to the event thugs disrupted an anti-Dickson protest led by a Niger Delta activist, popularly referred to the Amazone of the Niger Delta, Ankio Briggs.
Briggs and other protesters assembled around the Tombia Roundabout to commence a demonstration against Dickson‘s decision to confine herdsmen in the state within the Bayelsa Palm area of the state.
The activist, who came from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to lead the protest under the auspices of Ijaw Women Connect (IWC) was disorganised by thugs in the presence of security operatives including the police.
Briggs said the thugs injured some of the protesters and stole her telephone handsets, identity cards and other personal effects.
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She said they pushed her down in the presence of a senior police officer complaining that the police failed to protect her and other protesters.
She, however, said the demonstration was not against the leadership style of the governor but a “love rally” to disagree with the decision of the governor to allocate land to herdsmen.
But in a swift reaction, the government through the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, said the activist was attacked by her own thugs.
“The information we receive as a government is that Briggs mobilised people to Bayelsa for a protest. But they people turned against her and attacked her because she could not pay them the mobilisation fee”, he said.
Obuebite, who sympathised with Briggs, thanked security agencies for calming down the situation and saving the life of the activist.
But Dickson insisted that the PDP would bounce back and regain the control of the centre in 2019 after resolving their internal crisis.
He said he had transformed the state and brought development high used to be fantasies to realities adding that the people of the state now have the best hospitals, roads and schools under his government.
“Everywhere you go, they tell you that one of the safest states in e country is Bayelsa because you said no to people who practice violence.
“You have seen massive roads and we will continue to build the roads, hospitals and schools which they could not build,” he said.
He noted that the hardship in the state was caused by APC at the federal level accusing the party of destroying the economy.
He said under the APC, naira which used to be N160 to the dollar had skyrocketed to N500.
The governor, however, promised to lift an embargo in employment in the state immediately he completed his reforms in the public service.
He said his government would make more appointments to empower the people and reward persons who worked for his victory.
Speaking at the occasion, the National Publicity Secretary, PDP and former Minister for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said when he first visited Bayelsa under former Governor Goodluck Jonathan, the state was a mini-village.
But he said Dickson had transformed the stage into a town describing the governor as one of the pillars of the PDP.
“With governor Dickson, PDP has a future”, he said adding that PDP managed the country for 17 years only for APC to destroy the economy.
He said all the institutions built by the PDP were being used by APC to fight corruption in the country and insisted that in 2019, the party would bounce back.
In their goodwill message, other speakers eulogised the governor saying he had redefined development in the state.
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