A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Richard Kpodoh, has disclosed that the only reason Dickson, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were criticising the election was because security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) frustrated all their plans to compromise the electoral process.
Kpodoh also commended the military and the police for the roles they played in the just-concluded governorship election in Bayelsa State, saying they prevented skirmishes that could have led to loss of lives at the poll.
The APC Chieftain who spoke in Yenagoa, on Wednesday, said for the first time in the history of elections in the state, nobody died at the poll insisting that the police and the military deserved commendations.
He called on other candidates that participated in the election to congratulate the APC, adding that the people of Bayelsa trooped out to their polling units to vote out the PDP and the administration of Dickson.
He said for the first time the people of Bayelsa were united in rejecting a system that had failed them, that the jubilation that greeted the victory of the APC was an indication that the outcome of the poll was a true reflection of the people’s wish.
He said: “The election was very free and fair. It was the best election so far that had been held in Bayelsa State. I also thank Bayelsans because they demonstrated their determination to change the present government. You know we have been enslaved for eight years. But thank God we’re free from slavery.
“The kind of jubilation we have witnessed on the streets following the declaration of the APC as the winner of the election has never happened before in Bayelsa”.
Kpodoh commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for playing the roles of a leader and statesman throughout the period of the election.
“Jonathan has demonstrated leadership. He knows that the governor doesn’t like him and had never respected him despite everything he did to make him a governor.
“APC won because people were tired of Dickson and his autocracy and he believes he has all the powers. Dickson became power drunk. He had made so much money and he had no regard to anybody.
“People became quiet and waited for the judgement day. Dickson forgot that he was not God. But God on Saturday revealed himself to Dickson when the people rose up to kick against his government”, he said.
Kpodoh chided Diri following his claims that he won the election, adding that all the plans by Dickson to make Diri Bayelsa governor through the backdoor failed at the poll.
“I’m saying today that PDP has failed. Both the structures and the human beings inside have failed and the people gave them their verdict on Saturday. They should swallow the bitter pill and move on,” he said.
Meanwhile, the family of late former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has revealed why it worked assiduously with other stakeholders to end the reign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.
It said it was because the incumbent state Governor, Seriake Dickson disappointed the people of the state.
Speaking under the auspices of Alamcoism Movement (AM), the family said the Governor insulted the late Alamieyeseigha and disrespected Ijaw elders in most of his dealings and utterances.
The Director-General, Alamcoism Movement, Ziriworiten Alameisegha, who spoke in Yenagoa, the State capital, who said the movement started 1999, lamented that the PDP abandoned the template of development and empowerment laid down by the late governor.
“The PDP government disappointed Alamieyeseigha’s family. The Alamcoism endorsed Seriake Dickson but at the end of the day what did he do? He disappointed the family, insulted Alamcoism. So, we decided that since he failed to respect elders, we should teach him a lesson”, he said.
Alamieyeseigha, who was flanked by principal members of the movement such as the Student Representative, Oyeindoubra Amantari and Director of Planning, Strategy, Abosi Felagha, warned Lyon against breaking his social contract with the people.
He advised Lyon to learn from the past governments, desist from listening to rumours and to focus on human capital development to address the endemic poverty in Bayelsa.
Alamieyeseigha further appealed to the governor-elect to pay attention to the infrastructural development of the state especially the construction of a seaport in Bayelsa.
He also called on Dickson and the PDP to shelve the idea of going to court to challenge the victory of Lyon saying instead of wasting the state money on litigation, they should channel the resources to infrastructural development.
In the same vein, Ebilade, the second son of the late Alamieyeseigha, commended the people for rejecting all the offers made to them by the PDP and opted to vote Lyon as the right candidate.
He said, “I told the PDP that their money can’t counter the Alamcoism. We are around the eight local government areas and they saw the result in the eight local government areas. We won six local government areas but in Sagbama, Dickson’s local government area, there was no election.
“In my mother’s village at Ogoibiri, there was no material. It was hijacked by the Sagbama PDP Government. So, Douye Diri only won one local government area and even in that council, we divided the votes.
“People should know that Bayelsans are behind David Lyon and even the court will do nothing when everybody is on the same page. The court is not bigger than Bayelsa State. The whole state has decided and has chosen a candidate.
“We want to advise all the PDP people to reserve that money that they want to use for case and come and build one industry to employ more citizens because we need more development in this state. They should forget about that court.”
