Bayelsa state governor, Senator Douye Diri, is very appreciative of the support and backing of the former governor and current Senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, over his emergence as governor of the state.
This is against the false narratives being spread by naysayers to cause disaffection between the two leaders.
In a statement in Yenagoa, a group known as ‘One Bayelsa for Progress’ (OBP), lashed at some loyalists of the former governor who were promoting the seed of discord because of their personal political ambitions.
In the statement endorsed by its president, Comrade Joshua Accra-Owei, the group lambasted the elected and appointed politicians who insisted they belong to the defunct ‘Restoration Caucus’ and that they would only take political instructions from Senator Dickson.
“It was very wrong to deliberately promote hatred and fan ember of disunity. Imagine a top elected officer telling an aspirant to go and meet Dickson in Abuja if he wanted to return to the State House of Assembly. They were undermining Governor Diri because of his simplicity. That is not good”, Accra-Owei stated.
The group noted that Governor Diri has shown a rare display of political maturity as he continued to appreciate the former governor for backing him to clinch the governorship ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and eventual emergence as Governor by God’s special miracle.
The group continued, “The supporters and loyalists of Dickson including serving commissioners are to blame for the seeming discord between the two leaders. How can you be serving two masters? You go to Abuja to spread rumours against the man who appointed you. Many of them who went to contest and failed were even reinstated to their offices. Diri is a rare politician who is leading with fear of God. Even Dickson will not condone such acts of disloyalty from his aides. In the midst of all, Diri still gives reference to Dickson.”
The statement indicated that Dickson should rather be grateful to Diri for continuing with many of his projects and legacies unlike other successors who will start afresh with their own projects and programmes.
Again, OBP charged the former governor to publicly appreciate Governor Diri, for standing by him in his second term bid to the Senate jettisoning the age long zoning arrangement in the Bayelsa West Senatorial District.
“Senator Dickson, by every arrangement should not return to the senate following his own speech on zoning when he contested to replace Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, incumbent Deputy Governor in 2020. He had campaigned based on the zoning formular which favoured him being from Sagbama Local Government Area. Truly, it is the turn of Ekeremor LGA after Sagbama LGA had done eight years in the Senate.
But governor Diri, waved aside every consideration to hand Dickson the ticket. Diri had to impress on his bosom friend, Hon. Fred Agbedi, who was the main challenger to Dickson, to leave the ticket for the former Governor.
“Dickson should be thankful to Diri for making his return to the National Assembly an easy ride. Sincerely, the stories we hear in Bayelsa if true about the plot to stop the second term bid of Diri, is evil and unfortunate. Diri’s re-election is not in the hand of any man but God and the people of Bayelsa, whom he has been serving with utmost honesty”, the group declared.
