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Bayelsa guber poll: Reactions trail Dickson’s victory as governor shelves celebrations in honour of election victims
The Bayelsa governorship elections started from December 5 and 6. 2015 and ended with Supplementary poll in the Southern Ijaw local council last Saturday January 9, this year with INEC’s announcement of overall results, Sunday.
Dickson, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate won with a total of 134,998 votes, while his closest rival, Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC), polled just 86,852 votes.
The elections claimed no fewer than 10 lives including soldiers and policemen deployed to monitor the exercise as well party agents and a prominent traditional ruler, the paramount ruler of Peremabiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, popularly known as “Progress Never Die”, who was reportedly shot in the head by unknown gunmen.
Following his victory, Dickson, a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson thanked the electorate for their gallantry in ensuring his re-election for another four years, but said there would be no celebration because of the number of lives that had been lost during the process.
“I am extremely humbled tonight at the valiant efforts you made to revalidate the mandate you gave me four years ago. With all manner of forces arrayed against us, not least the utter desperation of our political opponents, community after community led by women and youths stood gallantly to defend the sanctity of your votes and resisted the efforts of hoodlums who style themselves as ‘militants’ to undermine the democratic process.
“To the extent that the people ensured that they spoke loud and clear and that their choice clearly emerged, provides some reassurance that our democracy is coming of age.
“Sadly, however, the election was conducted at the price of several lives lost and mayhem visited on many communities by mindless brigands clearly summoned by those who do not respect the democratic process and have equally scant regard for the sanctity of lives and property.
“Unfortunately, we can’t celebrate because people have died. But I want to assure you that we will do everything possible to identify the culprits and bring them to justice.
“I want to express my heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the innocent victims of the violence. The government will be undertaking a full accounting of what happened,” he promised residents of the state.
Alaos reacting, the PDP while lauding the people of Bayelsa for their support for its candidate which led to his victory at the governorship election in the state, described the victory as painful because of the number of those who were killed.
“It’s painful that this victory has come with so much pain because we lost dear ones. Those who died are our brothers. So many are still in hospitals nursing life-threatening injuries because our opponents wanted to win at all cost.
“We wish to express our deepest condolences once again and to assure their families that the deaths will not be in vain,” it stated.
The party’s position was contained in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Restoration Campaign Organisation, Jonathan Obuebite, shortly after Dickson was declared winner of the election.
The PDP also thanked the people for renewing Dickson’s mandate for another four years, attributing it to the “resilience and uncommon courage” of the people.
In addition, the party’s acting National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus, said the people of the state had given a pass mark to the development strides of the party.
“As a party we have always advocated a peaceful, transparent and fair elections. PDP is dedicated to producing credible and performing candidates as its flag bearers in various elections and to this end, the people of Bayelsa have justified our confidence in Governor Seriake Dickson and overwhelmingly approved his development strides in the state. We thank you Bayelsans and we promise to do more,” he said.
Equally, the PDP Governors’ Forum thanked the people of Bayelsa for standing firm against brute force and terror unleashed on them in the supplementary election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and 102 polling units on Saturday.
The forum, in a statement signed by its coordinator, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu, observed that but for the resilience and determination of the Bayelsa people, the APC was “inordinately obsessed with capturing the state as if it was a trophy of war”.
“The PDP Governors’ Forum wishes to commend the good and great people of Bayelsa State for standing resolute, firm and immovable against the desperate attempt by the APC-led regime to hijack the mandate of the people of Bayelsa.
“It is unfortunate that a party that came into office through a free and fair process offered by an incumbent have neglected to imbibe democratic tenets by engaging in thuggery and outright violence as if the state is a trophy of war,” the forum said.
It, however, noted that the Bayelsa election was a wake-up call for all Nigerians to reject any extra-constitutional means by which the APC intends to cling to power.
“We call on our members in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Edo States to brace up in the coming days and show that the PDP is indeed the custodian of democracy as it has done for the past 16 years,” the forum stated.
Similarly,Senate Deputy President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP, ongratulated Dickson on his re-election during the protracted governorship poll in Bayelsa.
Ekweremadu, according to a statement by his media aide, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, “Dickson’s re-election against all odds was not only sweet but expected in view of the transformation witnessed in Bayelsa State under his government.
“It is a sweet victory, coming against all odds. It is a testimony to the performance and popularity of Governor Seriake Dickson and our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party.
“I commend the people of Bayelsa State for standing up to be counted, and for protecting their democratic rights to freely choose their leaders. They have made a resounding statement to the effect that the state remains a PDP enclave and they are committed to keeping it so.”
In his remarks, Senator Ben Murray Bruce representing Bayelsa East District in the Senate identified some of the PDP supporters and party agents, who were victims of the violence that trailed Saturday’s election in the state.
Bruce who took to his Twitter handle to condemn the electoral violence also called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try violators of the Bayelsa poll.
He said: “These are innocent victims: Nicholas Sampson, Oweiga Clement, Opiriye Iyala, Princewill Takubo.
#ICCMustTryBayelsaRiggers”.
