By Amos Okioma
Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson on Monday called on some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are engaged in anti-party activities to retrace their steps for the continued peace and stability of the state.
Dickson made the call during the presentation of the party’s flag to candidates of the local government council in Yenagoa.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei quoted the Governor as saying that the call has become imperative in view of the desperation and impunity with which such politicians are working against the interest of the party.
According to the Governor, such individuals worked for the opposition parties in the immediate past state and National Assembly elections.
Dickson therefore 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 this weekend and emphasized the need for the candidates to ensure victory for the PDP towards securing their tenure in office.
His words: “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 those who have betrayed the party by collaborating with the opposition in their bid to stop the conduct of the council polls 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, Mr. Cleopas urged the aspirants to show the spirit of sportsmanship by collapsing their structures to support whoever emerges as the flagbearer.
“Let me remind every gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the PDP, that the PDP is a family. The party’s primaries 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.”
In his goodwill message, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tonye Isenah commended the doggedness of Governor Dickson in stabilising the polity of the state and assured him of the support of the 6thAssembly.
Candidates for the 8 local government councils are, Victor Isaiah for Brass, Alalibo West – Nembe, Dengiye Ubarugu for Kolokuma/Opokuma and Alale Embelakpo, Sagbama.
Others are, Orubaye Nimizua, Yenagoa, Dr. Perekeme Bertola, Ekeremor and Chief Kia Ebidoughebofa-Nigeria for Southern Ijaw.