For the first time in history, Bayelsans are witnessing a highly competitive campaign for the Creek Haven, the Bayelsa Government House from the political parties, two of which have shown consistency and left none in doubt of their desire to lead the state in the next four years.
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party PDP, though the occupant of the Creek Haven in the predominantly riverine state since the advent of civil rule is seriously being challenged by the All Progressive Congress APC, a party that dismantled the former dominance at the centre in the last Presidential polls and has vowed to replicate same in Bayelsa.
Though dismissed as a non starter by the ruling PDP given the slow take off of its (APC) campaign, the APC penultimate Saturday formally flagged off its campaign at Governor Seriake Dickson, Sagbama council area of the state.
The choice of Sagbama and the massive mobilisation which resulted in the huge crowd at the venue of the campaign flag off, according to an APC chieftain, was a strategic move to unsettle the PDP. PDP partisans, however, claim that majority of those that thronged the arena were ferried in from Yenagoa and neighbouring towns as they insist that Sagbama remains a PDP stronghold.
The grandstanding notwithstanding, the Sylva-Igiri APC campaign organisation driven by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has hinged its message on returning the state to the era of prosperity if elected into office.
Governorship campaign
The APC which though started late has taken its campaign to Sagbama, Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw promising better days.
Ex gov Timipre Sylva and Gov Seriake Dickson
Speaking at the maiden flag off of the APC governorship campaign, the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun had affirmed the sincerity in the promises made to the people of the state by the party’s flag bearer, Timipre Sylva.
Presenting the party flag to Sylva, he said the last four years of the Governor Seriake Dickson administration in the state has been characterized by poverty and under development.
His words, “the party does not need to work on the people of the state and convince them to vote for the APC. The people know that the last development efforts witnessed in the state was carried out by the Chief Timipre Sylva administration. And I was told that there is somebody in the state Government House pretending to be the governor.”
Chief John Oyegun, who also received into the APC three aides of Governor Dickson and two ex-officio of the State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however assured the people of the state that a vote for Sylva and the APC will bring prosperity.
Speaking at the occasion, Lokpobiri who is driving the campaign said the issue of campaigning for the December 5 governorship election goes beyond television coverage and frivolous claims.
Senator Lokpobiri said a recent survey conducted by the APC in Bayelsa showed that the party will score over 75 per cent of the votes to be cast during the December 5 Governorship election, “the PDP go to television and portray themselves as if they will score 10 per cent of the expected votes. They brought hunger and poverty into the state but the APC has brought jollification.”
The APC flag bearer, Sylva, after receiving the party’s flag called for a minute silence for the late former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and late APC stalwart and former PDP Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd). He likened the APC train to the biblical Noah’s Ark saying persons who failed to enter the ark would be swallowed by the Opuabadi (sea).
Era of poverty and hardship
He said when voted in, his administration would bring prosperity to the state and end the era of poverty and hardship.
“A new day is dawning over Bayelsa. We are going to bring prosperity and empowerment to you people especially the youths. It is our responsibility to look after the youths,” he said.
He said the APC government would be about the people promising that youths would play active roles in his government. He said the first thing his administration will do is to embark on quick-win jobs to empower the people and reduce the scourge of unemployment in the state. He vowed to stop over taxation of civil servants saying it was inhuman to centre development around the salaries of civil servants.
Sylva also dispelled speculations that if he wins, he would relocate the College of Education to his town where it was formally sited before Dickson took it to his council. “I am not going to do that. I am going to show him (the governor) that l am not vindictive and vengeful like him. I love my people and l know that my people love me.”
At Ekeremor, home base of the APC campaign director general and minister of state for agriculture, Senator Lokpobiri, the party also solicited the support of the people.
Interestingly, Ekeremor council area parades some of the big names in the politics of the state. The Director General of the PDP Restoration Campaign Organisation and member of the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi is from the council area, the wife of the incumbent governor, Mrs. Rachel Dickson is also from the area.
At Ekeremor, Sylva said a new day had dawned in Bayelsa, and urged the people to embrace change in order to move the state to the next level of socio-economic and political development.
Though the PDP led government in the state has taken the ongoing Sagbama-Ekeremor Road project beyond Toru-Orua already tarred, with sand filling beyond Ofoni, the APC candidate mocked the former’s effort saying if elected his (Sylva) administration would not short-change the people but would run a transparent government.
Sylva said, “I will link Sagbama with Ekeremor by road. I want to assure Bayelsans that I will not play ‘419’ because some people are doing 419 with the road.
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