 |
| David Lyon |
The Bayelsa State Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief David Lyon, has accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of planning to resort to vote buying in its desperate attempt to win the November governorship election.
Lyon, who took his campaign team to different wards in Yenagoa, the state capital, said having seen that it stood no chance to win the poll following the general acceptance of a progressive movement in the state, the PDP intended to induce voters and compromise the process.
The candidate, whose campaign train was received by mammoth crowd at Igbogene, Agudama, Opolo, St Peters Down Yenegoa and Amarata, said the PDPโs reign was over in the state and no amount of money would save the party from defeat.
Addressing the crowd at Agudama-Epie Ward 4, Lyon asked the people to remain focused in their decision to vote for him and the APC at the poll.
He appealed to the people to collect their money, which the PDP would share at the poll but to vote the ruling party out to enable the APC correct all the mistakes of the PDP.
He said: โI have already promised you that the Bayelsa money is not David Lyonโs money. Bayelsa money is for the development of Bayelsa and solving the problems of our people.
โToday, you can see how some people are carrying Bayelsa money as if it is their own. Have you noticed that as we started the APC campaign, workers are now receiving their salaries earlier? Despite the fact that the money was there, were they paying like that before?
โThis is deception and PDP has been deceiving us in this state. They are planning to bring a lot of money to buy votes at the poll. Remember it is your money they want to give you. If they give you the money, collect it and vote them outโ.
Lyon said the APC would end the perpetual darkness, insecurity and usher in the era of industrial revolution and empowerment of women and youths.
The candidate promised to drastically reduce school fees of tertiary institutions especially that of the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU) increased by the current government.
He said: โThis government has joked with us for about eight years. David Lyon is a humble servant. I and my team want to serve Bayelsans and we depend on you all to vote for APC. Our government that is coming will empower women and give women appointments. We will not disappoint women.
โYouths be rest assured that your interest will be protected by our government. I was once a youth president. So, this is the right time for youths to wake up. At the poll, the PDP may give you N10,000. But what is N10,000 compared to your future?
โWe will provide good empowerment programmes. Can you imagine that they increased the school fees of our university, the NDU? But when we come on board, we will bring all the school fees down. For close to eight years that they have been in power, have they paid student bursaries? I will clear all the bursary arrears when I become governorโ.
At the palace of HRM. Godwin Gurosi Igodo, Ebeni-Ibe Atissa Kingdom, in Obogoro community, where he received royal blessings, Lyon mentioned different communities he had lived in Yenagoa since 1985, before finally settling down at Igbogene, Yenagoa.
He told the monarchs that he had become an indigene of their kingdom having lived and grown up in the area. โI consider myself an Epie-Atissa man, and would work towards developing Yenagoaโ, he said.
He insisted that Yenagoa had been in pathetic condition under the PDP administration lacking all basic amenities and infrastructures such as water, electricity, modern markets, security and many others.
Lyon said there was a need for the traditional rulers to partner with the APC government when elected to drive the development of the capital city and the entire Bayelsa.
โWe need to work together as a family because Bayelsa is a family. I believe it is God that made it possible for ordinary man like me, a local man like me to have aspired lead Bayelsaโ, he said.
Receiving different defectors to the APC, the Alternate Director-General, APC Campaign Council, Prof. Seifa Brisibe, described the APC as the light and urged people from the PDP to join the APC.
