APC Has No Place In Niger Delta, Nigeria
OpenLife News reports that former Governor of Bayelsa State and leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has no place in the Niger Delta and Nigeria, describing the ruling party as ruinous to the region and the country.
The former Governor further stressed that APC must be sent out of power from top to bottom for Nigeria to breathe again, adding that the party has nothing to offer the people of the region and Nigeria.
Dickson stated this during a rally in his home community Toru-Orua in Bayelsa State, where he was accompanied by the Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi.
According to him, despite enormous resources generated from the Niger Delta, the APC-led Federal Government has failed to provide critical infrastructure, key appointments and tangible development for the people.
“APC has nothing to offer Bayelsans; nothing to show in terms of roads and bridges and infrastructure. Despite the enormous resources generated from our region, we continue to lack the critical infrastructure that our people deserve. Everything in our state and our region was done by the PDP.
“The APC has done nothing for our people and intends to do nothing,” Dickson declared.
He explained that the visit to Bayelsa was his first in a long while since the funeral of former Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
“After returning to Abuja from the funeral, I became deeply engrossed in the registration and building of the NDC, a process that has occupied much of my time over the past months,” he said.
He was pleased to be accompanied by NDC Presidential Candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, CON, who spent the entire day and evening in Bayelsa with his entourage, including the Director-General of the National Campaign Council, Mallam Ibrahim Abdulkarim.
“I thank our National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas; members of the National Working Committee; our State Chairman and members of the State Executive Committee; local government and ward chairmen; and all party members and leaders across the state,” Dickson said.
He appreciated the Chairman of the State Elders’ Caucus, Dr Osusu, and the Bayelsa West Caucus Chairman, Elder Suru Oyarde, alongside other caucus members, the state campaign coordinator, Prof Opuala Charles and all members of the campaign team.
He also thanked all NDC candidates, including senatorial and National Assembly candidates and the 24 House of Assembly candidates, for mobilising in large numbers to receive them at the airport and commissioning of the state secretariat.
Peter Obi Will Win
During his remarks, Dickson introduced Peter Obi to the people of Bayelsa and urged them to support and vote for him on the platform of the NDC.
“I expressed confidence that Peter Obi will win Bayelsa and urged our people to vote for all NDC candidates, from top to bottom. I firmly believe that the NDC will win massively in Bayelsa, across the Niger Delta and throughout Nigeria,” he said.
He called for a minute of silence in honour of late Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, with whom he discussed the NDC after formation, and said he also advised Governor Douye Diri not to decamp to APC.
NDC Represents Equity, Justice
Dickson called on Bayelsans to honour the legacies of political forebears, especially Harold Dapabiriye, founder of the pre-independence Niger Delta Congress; the late Chief Melford Okilo, elected first pre-independence House of Representatives on the platform of NDC; Isaac Adaka Boro; Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; and Pa Edwin Clark.
He said he also discussed formation of NDC with former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The NDC represents a long tradition of political leadership founded on the struggle for equity, justice and an inclusive Nigeria. Our forebears understood that advancing the interests of our people also required building bridges of trust across the country,” he stated.
Diri And How He Donated Bayelsa To APC
Dickson spoke about his years of nurturing political leaders and the considerations behind his succession choice in Bayelsa.
“Given the peculiar challenges of the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta, we agreed the next government after mine should still be led by a product of the Ijaw nation, someone who has been involved in the Ijaw movement, to continue to fight and defend us against the oppressive forces holding down our people.
“These considerations led me to the choice of the current Governor Douye Diri who was my principal Executive Secretary, my Deputy Chief of Staff, a House of Reps member, a Senator and later a governor, all sponsored by my system.
“This is why I have always been against the decision to surrender our state, our hard-won victory, particularly with all my sacrifices and pains at a great cost, both personal and political.
READ ALSO:Seriake Dickson Takes NDC’s Prospects Overseas, Receives Massive Endorsement In UK
“Our victory was donated free of charge to the APC, making all of us overnight, to be opposition members in our own state, in a government we formed, in a governorship I crafted, and an administration we worked hard to put in power.”
He lamented: “Every single one of the people in the current government was nurtured and supported for years by me. To make it worse, for the past seven years it has been pettiness, wickedness, propaganda, lies, deceit, blackmail, envy and greed.
“People are dismissed, sacked and impoverished, to strangulate and blackmail the very people who paved way for them into power.”
“The APC never defeated me and they have never won Bayelsa on the ballot. I have been the obstacle stopping them from winning Bayelsa since 2015, even with the defeat of the PDP at the center.
“But the man I brought, believed and trusted with the future of our people donated the state to the APC and now treating me as a political opponent.”
Time To Make Political Choices Clear
Dickson said he deliberately refrained from speaking extensively to preserve peace.
“For a long time, I deliberately refrained from speaking extensively about these developments because of my love for our people and the need to preserve peace and prevent a crisis as it happens frequently in other states.
“So I deliberately stayed away without any interference, no demands or pressure on the government I helped to install.”
“To you my people, I understand the hardship, intimidation, harassment and dismissals from appointments that you have had to endure. However, the time has come to make our political choices and positions clear.”
“I urge everyone to remain peaceful. No one should attack, threaten or abuse anyone. As I said, children may deny their father, but fathers do not deny children.
“The governor is still my person, my brother, my compatriot and our governor. But he is now someone I disagree with, as he and the people in his government are wrong with the direction they are taking our state to.
“My position on the APC has not changed, as I have not seen, in Bayelsa and in our region, the life-changing federal policies, key appointments or tangible development our people deserve.
“Our region also remains inadequately represented in important federal appointments and positions, civil and military. The APC rewards Bayelsa with only half ministerial positions, after which they send them to jail. I therefore urged our people to reject the APC at the polls.”
He thanked the Paramount Ruler of Toru-Orua, chiefs, elders, youths, women, party faithful, Rivers State Governorship Candidate Dumo Lulu-Briggs, South-South state chairmen, security agencies and media.
“It was a pleasure to have invited our presidential candidate Peter Obi to join me in the Ijaw war traditional boat regatta set up by our communities in my honour,” he added.
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