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| David Lyon |
The people of Kolokuma/Opokuma, the Local Government Area of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, have vowed to vote for Chief David Lyon, the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the November 16 governorship election
The people, in a statement by the Secretary, Media and Publicity Committee, APC Campaign Council, Doifie Buokoribo, complained that Diri emerged a candidate of PDP without consulting them.
Speaking on behalf of the people of the area in Sabageria during APC’s governorship campaign rally, Alternate Director-General of the council, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, insisted the PDP deceived the people of Kolokuma/Opokuma during its last primary election that produced Senator Diri.
He said that the area had an illustrious son they wanted as governorship candidate but Governor Seriake Dickson, gave the PDP ticket to Diri without consulting them.
He said the PDP candidate was not known to protect the interest of his people and could not be trusted to attract any form of development to the people adding that there was no meaningful development in the area under Dickson.
He said: “They claim we should support them because they have given us a Governorship candidate.
‘’But did they consult us before giving us the Governorship candidate? I urge you to vote for APC because we are sure of empowerment and development when David Lyon is in power.’’
Addressing the mammoth crowd that turned out for the rally, the APC governorship candidate, Lyon assured the people of the area that if voted into office in November 16, he would complete the Sabageria/Polako bridge project that had been abandoned for eight years.
Lyon, who was received by traditional rulers, elders, women and youths, also promised to provide soft loans and grants for small and medium scale businesses women from the area.
He said: “I am an Ijaw man like you and I know your problems because they are the same problems I face every day as a person. When I become governor, I assure you that I would work hard to solve your problems.
“First, I would complete the abandoned Polako/Sabageria bridge to connect you to Yenagoa City.
‘’I would build befitting schools, hospitals and roads to ease your challenges as a people.
“I will sand fill parts of Okoloba Community in order to ensure that the annual flood that renders you homeless and jobless as a people don’t disturb you anymore.
‘’For our women, I will establish small-scale businesses for you. I will provide farm tools for farmers to sustain their means of livelihood.”
Also speaking, the APC campaign Coordinator for Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Council, Ndutimi Komonibo, said the best bet for the council was to vote for the APC.
Komonibo said: “That is why God has sent us a David to liberate our people from our enemies that don’t want our progress.
‘’My people, you know that our people are very intelligent people. The governor, without consulting us, brought one of our sons as candidate.
“To me that is temptation. Are you ready to vote for that temptation? Our problem is that if Douye Diri becomes governor, he would become Dickson’s stooge and we would continue to suffer as we suffered under Dickson’s administration.
“So if you ask me between Douye and development which would I choose? I would choose development because the PDP has not and will never bring development to us.”
The APC campaign train later went to Opukuma, Odi and Kaiama.
At each point, highly enthusiastic supporters who endorsed the APC Governorship candidate met them. In turn, the APC team preached the message of a better Bayelsa for all.
