In a bid to make a statement during the upcoming local government election in Bayelsa State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a massive rally in Yenegoa, the state capital, signaling commencement of campaigns for the August 10, 2019 poll.
All roads led to the Peace Park, opposite the Government House Onopa, Yenagoa, the venue of the PDP local government rally.
Present at the rally were Governor of the state, Seriake Dickson; his deputy Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd); state PDP Chairman, Cleopas Moses, all the party executive members, all candidates of PDP for the election, Dickson’s cabinet members and other PDP stakeholders.
Presenting PDP’s flag to candidates at the rally, Dickson called on some chieftains of the PDP, who were engaged in anti-party activities, to retrace their steps for the continued peace and stability of the state.
The governor said that the call became necessary following the desperation and impunity with which such politicians are working against the interest of the party.
Dickson said such individuals worked for the opposition parties in the immediate past state and National Assembly elections.
The governor advised the local council chairmanship and councillorship candidates not to be swayed by the antics of those politicians whom he described as tenants.
He reiterated that the council polls would take place on Saturday and emphasized the need for the candidates to ensure victory for the PDP to secure their tenures in office.
He said: “There are some people, who call themselves members of the PDP and are working against the party. Most of them fought against our candidates, by working for opposition parties and are not ashamed of themselves.
“They are not ashamed of the bad politics they are playing and the division they are promoting in this state; the politics of destroying their own party without conscience.
“Those were the people who were not happy that you, the eight of you are going to be Chairmen of local government areas. They are not happy and they insist that because they did not select the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen and all the councilors, this election should not hold.
“Let me sound a note of warning to you all, the genuine party members in this state, that the movements going on in this state, most of them are not calculated to your own interest. They just want to hijack party tickets and our state for themselves and their pockets and not for the interest of the people.
“The people that we have selected as our candidates (the eight chairmen and one hundred and five councilors) are all by the rules of our party, delegates in the forthcoming governorship primaries and that is their fear.”
The governor urged all genuine members of the party to shun the activities of persons, who betrayed the party by collaborating with the opposition in their bid to stop the conduct of the council poll in the state.
While congratulating the flagbearers, Dickson said he would play a pivotal role in forthcoming governorship election as no candidate of the PDP would win without his support.
In his remarks, the state PDP Chairman, Mr. Moses Cleopas said contrary to the expectation of the opposition, the multiple governorship aspirants would not lead to the implosion of the PDP.
Describing the upcoming PDP congress as a family affair, Cleopas urged the aspirants to show the spirit of sportsmanship by collapsing their structures to support whoever emerges as the flag bearer.
He said: “Let me remind every gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the PDP, that the PDP is a family. The party’s primary election is an election of a family. Out of the 21 of you, you all should know that it is one candidate that will emerge.
“In party primaries, every candidate can relate and consult but come 3rd September, 2019, a candidate that shall defeat every other candidate shall emerge after a credible primary.
“I expect that the 20 other aspirants who are also winners in their own right, should collapse their structures into the PDP flag-bearer’s structure and we will go into the gubernatorial election united and emerging victorious at the end of the day.”
Candidates for the eight local government councils are, Victor Isaiah for Brass; Alalibo West, Nembe; Dengiye Ubarugu, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Alale Embelakpo, Sagbama.
Others are: Orubaye Nimizua, Yenagoa; Dr. Perekeme Bertola, Ekeremor and Chief Kia Ebidoughabofa-Nigeria, for Southern Ijaw.
