By Amos Okioma
The leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state, Chief Timipere Sylva, Werinipre Seibarugu, Nestor Binabor and other prominent members of the party were conspicuously absent at the formal declaration and opening of the campaign office of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri governorship ambition in Yenagoa.
However, former minister of Agriculture and Natural resources,Chief Audu Ogbe, Senator Felix Oboro, chief KD Francis, chief Abel Ebifemowei, Godknows Powell, Eddy Julius, chief Livingstone Egba, Okio all Sylva’s men were among prominent guests at the epochal event.
Declaring his ambition, Lokpobiri, immediate past minister of state of Agriculture said having served as pioneer speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, two term senator and minister of the federal republic of Nigeria, he considers himself eminently qualified to rescue Bayelsa from inept administration of the present government.
He said the reasons for any government is to provide security and welfare for the citizenry, “but all of these have become a mirage and its incumbent on him to address these anomalies.”
“In Bayelsa state the level of poverty and hunger is unprecedented, is the darkest state in Africa, ” he said.
According to him due to lack of vision and ideas by the present PDP-led government, Bayelsa despite its monthly allocation of N14 billion, remains the poorest, most backward state in infrastructural development and it’s only APC government under him that would restore the past glory of the slogan glory of all lands.
He decried the insecurity, hunger and poverty that have been inflicted on Bayelsans of late and called on them to vote him into Creek Haven as the next governor who will develop Bayelsa economy beyond oil.
He commended chief Ogbe, his mentor for attending his declaration and opening his campaign office.
Earlier, chief Ogbe had eulogized Lokpobiri as an epitome of knowledge and wisdom with the requisite experience to govern Bayelsa and appealed to APC and others to rally round him in actualising his ambition.
In their good will messages, Senator Oboro, chief Francis and Shamba called every Bayelsans and all non indigenes to vote for senator Lokpobiri.
According to him, the non indigenes in Bayelsa constitute 45 per cent voting strength and they should be involved in the process.
Earlier, the DG of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri for Governor Campaign Organization, Hon Warman Ogoriba reiterated that APC was on rescue mission to reverse the pain and hunger, deprivation and bad governance of the PDP-led government in Bayelsa.
All the eight local government campaign coordinators were given appointment letters.