It’s Not Compulsory for Bayelsa East to Produce Running Mate; Competence Should be Encouraged

The attention of Bayelsa Democratic Front, BADEF, has been drawn to statements made by some notable politicians regarding who should be the running mate to Senator Douye Diri, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the forthcoming guber elections in Bayelsa State.

The statements most worrisome to us are the ones suggesting that Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo’s name be replaced with someone from Bayelsa East, with the believe that the move will increase the chances of PDP at the polls.

As a group committed to the unity and development of Bayelsa State, we find this suggestion not only vexatious, but also parochial, divisive and unnecessary.

We wish to remind Bayelsans specifically PDP members advocating for a Bayelsa East candidate that the state is made up of three senatorial districts and there is no way all the three will produce governor and deputy governor at the same time. Thus in any given dispensation one senatorial district is always cheated or better still compensated with the speakership position. 

While we do not wish to pit any senatorial district against the other, it should be recalled that Bayelsa East has occupied the office of deputy governor twice and it is not compulsory for the district to produce another in the next dispensation.

BADEF believes that Bayelsa state currently needs competent, innovative and experienced leaders like Diri and Lawrence to take the state to greater heights.

One of the problems of Bayelsa State is the poor representation at the National Assembly, this is because we are not sending our first eleven. It is therefore believed that if eventually Gov. Seriake Dickson gets there as speculated, he is going to give effective and quality representation to Bayelsa state in particular and the Ijaw race in general. The governor has demonstrated that in several fora. 

In addition to the above, giving the Deputy Governorship slot to East will not amount to electoral plus to PDP as that Senatorial District is APC stronghold.

We equally call on stakeholders and members of Bayelsa PDP to encourage competence by allowing Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo to be the running mate, as the PDP does not need further acrimony that will divide it more.

Signed:

Chief. Azibola M. Joshua

Founder/Coordinator, BADEF

Barr. Godwin Amiekumo-Wariowei

Publicity Secretary, BADEF

Comments

comments