Bayelsa Guber: Give Me Right of First Refusal, Lyon Tells APC
Estate magnate, Festus Daumiebi, joins race
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state in the 2019 election, David Lyon has called on the national leadership of the party to give him the right of first refusal ahead of the party’s primary scheduled to hold on April 10.
Lyon stated this yesterday while addressing journalists after submitting his Nomination and Expression of Interest forms.
Lyon was declared winner of the 2019 governorship election, but a day to his swearing-in as governor, his election was invalidated by the Supreme Court.
The apex court ruled that his running mate, Degi Eremienyo Wangagra submitted a fake certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while ordering that Douye Diri of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who came second in the election be issued a certificate of return, which made him governor-elect.
Lyon said: “With profound gratitude and great humility, I just submitted my nomination and intent form to contest the primaries for the governorship election of Bayelsa state under the platform of our great party, APC.
“Allow me to request our great party APC to grant me the right of first refusal regarding our party primaries date as outlined by the national headquarters.”
Meanwhile, frontline estate magnate and chieftain of the APC, Festus Daumiebi, has join the former Governor of the and Minister for State, Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and David Lyon, in the race.
While Sylva and Lyon purchased their forms at the headquarters of the APC in Abuja, a coalition of Ijaw youths under the umbrella of New Bayelsa Movement, purchased gubernatorial form for Daumiebi, and came to his residence in Yenagoa to present it to him.
The youths who marched in their numbers along major roads in the state capital, presented the nomination form to Daumiebi at his residence in Opolo suburb of Yenagoa the state capital on Tuesday.
In his acceptance speech, Chief Daumiebi said he was overwhelmed by the sacrifice and support of the youths in making efforts to demand he joins the guber race, adding it will be wicked and devilish of him to reject the call.
He called on the leadership of the party to do the right thing and should not take the actions of youths for granted a if the party must reclaimed their mandate in the state
He said: “I am overwhelmed. That is to say that I am short of words to express my indepth gratitude, first of all to God almighty who has made this day possible and to the great youths of Bayelsa State, I want to sincerely thank you for this call. Few hours ago, I was on my way to Port Harcourt when I got a call that the youths of Bayelsa State has put resources together, not minding the economic purchase the gubernatorial form of my party the All Progressives Congress, APC, for me to run for the governorship of Bayelsa State.
“I understand your pains, I am one of you, I have lived with you in this state so I know exactly what is has happening to you and Bayelsa State. I would be wicked and devilish for me to disappoint you.
“Today you have come in your numbers to call on me that you are tired of the suffering, underdevelopment, and marginalization by a section of people who called themselves our leaders, that does not represent or acknowledge our presence as young people.
“You know that our collective future is in jeopardy and you want me to contest this election, I have prayed to God this minute as I am talking to you and God has given me the go ahead to accept your call and by the grace of God
“My promise to the youths and the people of Bayelsa State irrespective of political divide because here I see members of all political parties, that is to say this is a non partisan movement and by the grace of God when we are elected, we will not run a government of political party by a government of Bayelsa State people.”
On his relationship with former Governor Timipre Sylva and former governor elect, all aspirants, he said they remain his political leaders, allies and friends.
“Sylva is my leader and undisputed leader of APC in Bayelsa State and David Lyon is my elder brother and friend and I can tell you that not even politics can separate this family but for the purpose of these forms that the youths of Bayelsa State have purchase with their resources, they know that know is to encourage a young man who has been with this party since 2014 and have served with commitment.
“The youths of Bayelsa State has made a statement today, so it is left for the national leadership of the APC to do what is right if we must reclaimed Bayelsa State.”
Earlier the spokesman of the youths and former Chairman of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Jonathan Lokpobiri, said it is time youths to take political action and take their collective destiny into their hands, adding that they are clamouring for Daumiebi because he his young and made a name for himself.
He said: “As a people, this is the right time for the young people of this country to take political action. Today, we are at the moment of making another political history in Bayelsa State, this time we will not allow political leaders to make decisions for the youths without youths taking direct steps in changing their destiny.
“As a people, we have decided that we must come together as young people, forge one common front picking one of us to steer this ship of leadership of this state. This time we have decided young people to a political action by procuring the APC gubernatorial form for Chief Festus Daumiebi that he must take the opportunity of this clarion call we have called and demand for him to contest the APC gubernatorial primaries.
“This New Bayelsa Movement, is a bipartisan movement because the suffering and anguish we bear today does not know any political party, we are humans and our sufferings are the same.”
In another development, the immediate-past Executive Director at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Dr. Sanusi Ohiare, said he would was contesting to consolidate on the achievement of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state.
Ohiare while addressing the journalists yesterday in Abuja after submitting his governorship form said the state has made tremendous progress under Bello.
He said: “Under Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Kogi state has inched closer to a more perfect union, given the prevalence of ethnic divides before he assumed office in 2016; which is evidenced in the current dimension of the Kogi race for governorship, where voters are no longer considering your ethnicity or religion, but researching on your person, character, antecedents and capacity to deliver.
“Kogi has also witnessed relative peace, stability and massive infrastructural development in the areas of Education, Health, Roads, Bridges and Power, to mention a few, under our amiable leader, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
“Therefore, the challenge before us is how to sustain and build on the great works of his Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and who’s best equipped to succeed him.”
On his part, Accountant General of the state, Jibrin Momoh said his aspiration is about the people.
Momoh’s forms were picked by a group of his friends and associates led by a former Commissioner in the state, Hon. Paul Ebije.
Addressing journalists, Momoh said it would be appropriate to have the governorship seat remain in the central part of the state in the interest of equity and fairness.
Speaking on why they decided to buy the forms for Momoh, Ebije said: “We see in him the ability to move Kogi State to the next level. He is not aware that we came to pick the forms for him but this is not just about him, it is about the people of Kogi State.
“We need someone to consolidate on the achievements of GYB’s government and add other things. He has the capacity to move the state to the next level.”
Also speaking, Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Senator representing Kogi Central, Yakubu Oseni said the challenge of insecurity cannot be resolved with just money but job creation.
He said; “Billions in security spending won’t solve the problem of insecurity. The challenge is unemployment. Once there is job creation, the problem would have been solved. You create enabling environment, bring in investors, give the people what they need to fend for themselves.
“Once everybody is gainfully engaged, the level of insecurity will collapse. Hunger will collapse. All the social vices will go away and the society will be good for everybody.”
