Bayelsa Guber: A Litmus Test for APC, PDP, Says NDDC MD

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Samuel Ogbuku, has said that the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State would determine which party is on ground and has the interest of the people at heart.

Ogbuku stated this after casting his vote in his hometown, Ayakoro community, in Bayelsa State at Unit I, Ward 3, in the Ogbia Constituency II rerun election.

He claimed that the All Progressive Congress (APC) would have been the party ruling the state by now if its mandate had not been stolen in 2019 by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said: “The APC won the last election though the PDP snatched it from us. So you cannot say that Bayelsa is a PDP’s state. The next governorship election is when we will know which party won the election.”

He commended the National Independent Commission (INEC) for the introduction of the Bimodal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS), adding that the BVAS did not waste time in capturing him.

Commenting on the late arrival of materials to the polling unit, Ogbuku who is also the deputy paramount ruler of Ayakoro, explained that “the materials arrived late because they were coming all the way from Yenagoa this morning. The materials did not arrive at the RAC centre last night because of the security situation.

“But as you can see, the community is very peaceful and the people have conducted themselves and are ready to vote for the candidate of their choice and we know at the end of the day that the result will be favourable to our candidate.”

The NDDC boss described the 2023 APC’s House of Assembly candidate for Ogbia Constituency II, Mr. Godknows Obein, as popular candidate that is loved and admired by his constituents across party line.

Ogbuku also commended the INEC and electorate of Ogbia Constituency II for the credible and peaceful rerun polls that was conducted at the weekend.