APC flag off in Bayelsa attracts unprecedented mammoth crowd  Burhari, APC NWC, Governors, Senators, others back David Lyon to win Bayelsa Election • Omo-Agege, Oshiomhole, Sylva lambasts Gov Dickson

The gubernatorial flag off of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief David Lyon and his running mate, Senator (Bishop) Biobarakuma W. Degi-Eremienyo for the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State has attracted unprecedented mammoth crowd and dignitaries from different walks of life to grace the event in Bayelsa State, the Core of the Niger Delta region since the creation of the state.

The event which took place at Ogbia town headquarters of the local government area is like a carnival designed to salvage the people of the state from shackle of poverty, deprivation and underdevelopment.

President Muhammadu Buhari was represented by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole during the formal presentation of the party flag to the party flag bearer, David Lyon and his running mate Senator (Bishop) Biobarakuma W. Degi-Eremienyo at Ogbia Town.

The Deputy Senate President, Ovie omo-Agege and Senators, the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the National working committee (NWC), the All Progressives Governors of the party represented by the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, Kebbi State, Abubaka Bagudu and Plateau State, Simeon Lalong among other prominent party stalwarts and Bayelsans reaffirm their support for the candidate of APC to take over the governance of the state on November 16 governorship election in the state.

                                             Chief Timipre Sylva 

In his opening remarks at the event, the Minister of Petroleum and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva said, Ogbia local government area was carefully chosen to launch the party’s campaign flag off because all good things begin in Ogbia Kingdom.

APC crowd at Ogbia Town



According to him in 1956, crude oil was discovered in Ogbia kingdom at oloibiri in commercial quantity which he said has continued to be the economic main stay of Nigeria.

He added that in the year 2010 the people of the South South geopolitical zone got the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it started from Ogbia kingdom.

The Petroleum Minister for state pointed out that the motive behind the choice of Ogbia kingdom was to tap the abundance blessing of the Ogbia land to enhance the victory of the party in the November 16 governorship election through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sylva observed that the PDP, the main opposition party in the country has been in power continuously in Bayelsa state, but offers nothing to the desired development of the state under the administration of Governor Seriake Dickson for about 8years of governance with over N1.6 trillion he had received from the federation account.

His words “Today we have a governor who has been here for almost eight years and we came here. In the 8years he has received over N1.6 trillion. He has that amount of money. But as we speak all of you know that Bayelsa is still in darkness.

The kolo Creek Gas Turbine that was started by our father Chief (Senator) Melford Obiene Okilo, continued by Goodluck Jonathan and continued by myself is today abandoned and overgrown with weeds.

Ogbia land that use to have electricity back in 1980s has retrogress instead of progressing because of the will of one man.

Already one thing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the government of Seriake Dickson continues to talk as an achievement is the so called  Airport which has cost the state undisclosed amount.

I say undisclosed amount because he himself has said it cost N80 billion. Then when we find out that it has carefully cost more than a N100 billion and we attacked him with it and he reverse the figure down and said it cost him N60 billion. But even if it is N60 billion that will remain one of the most expensive Airport ever based in the world.

And what I always tell my friend Governor Dickson, the challenge I always put before him is, why is he himself stop landing in the Airport?

I say let him land there since he has an Airport so that we too can land there. But we still see him struggling with us in Port Harcourt. I have built an Airport here, a very big billion, billion, billion naira Airport and yet he dey follow us dey struggle for Port Harcourt.

Make he dey land here na-o-o-o! If the Airport na Airport make he dey land here na-o-o”, he stated.

Apart from the Airport, Chief Sylva said Governor Dickson’s PDP Government in the state has failed to complete the Isaac Boro road expansion for about 8years while the water pipe line that was supplying water in the state capital has been disrupted thus making residents to depend on water vendors’ water.

He also pointed out that damage road bridges in the state have been abandoned and created hardship for the people.

Sylva stated emphatically that when APC takes over the leadership of the state on November 16, it will address all the developmental challenges facing the people of the state.

According to him the APC administration will bring development to the nooks and crannies of  the state, address the current problems of insecurity, kidnapping and unbearable killings and embark on empowerment programmes to alleviate current abject poverty afflicting the people to improve their socio-economic wellbeing.

“Today in Bayelsa state, insecurity is the order of the day, kidnapping, armed robbery and killings are the order of the day.

But the unfortunate thing is that armed robbers today sometimes when they go after breaking your house and pointing gun at you, they ask you for pot of soup. Nobiso?

Armed robbers go break your house and will come, madam, your life or your pot of soup? Nobi money again because he has so impoverishes the people. Bayelsans are forgotten that there is money. They are only looking for food to eat. That will not be our portion.

Chief Sylva averred that the present socio-economic and political challenges the people of the state is facing will not repeat itself under Chief David Lyon administration when given the mandate.

This, he said was because David Lyon is a development, security and empowerment experts and wants the people of Ogbia kingdom to cast their votes for APC during the November 16 governorship election.

He assured Bayelsans that David Lyon administration would address the insecurity problem in the state within his first one hundred days in office.

Sylva asked to know when Governor Dickson would complete the Elebele-Opolo road which he allegedly spent N30 billion without completion

“But the very interesting part of Dickson’s administration is that all the projects that he is doing nobody know the contractor.

The Airport too nobody knows the contractor; Him and Senator Ewhrujakpo the running mate of Douye Diri, only the two of them know the contractor. Na only the two of them know the amount of the projects. Everything they do by themselves. They don’t empower anybody. Point anybody in Bayelsa, point anybody anywhere that has been empowered by Dickson except his family members. Na so ona wan be?

The Petroleum Minister also said that the state has Niger Delta University but Governor Dickson went and established University of Africa but uptill now nobody know the partners apart from the state government as it was earlier alleged that the university has partners.

“Na only Dickson and Ewhrujakpo know partners”, said Sylva.

He described the present system of government in Bayelsa state as Government by Dickson for Dickson and in the Dickson.

Performing the official presentation of the party flag to Chief David Lyon, the standard bearer of APC for the November 16 governorship election on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said that David Lyon will not build an Airport where he himself will not fly to.

                                     Comrade Adams Oshiomhole speaking

Comrade Oshiomhole assured Bayelsans that the APC flagbearer will not betray the people of the state when given the mandate because he understands the deprivation which the state and the people of the south south geopolitical zone went through.

He noted that David Lyon will carry the youths, women, men and the elderly along in his administration to improve their wellbeing devoid of discriminations.

According to him the candidate of David Lyon is most acceptable to the President, Senators, Governors, APC Working Committee among others, stressing that the large turn of personalities was a manifestation of his candidature acceptability.

He appealed to Governor Dickson his friend, the outgoing Governor not to fear that David Lyon will chase him away.

Oshiomhole said that the incoming APC Governor of Bayelsa state was not coming to chase him away but to correct some of the limitations so that Bayelsa will witness data development, sustainable development and improve welfare of the youths, women, men and elderly.

“I want to appeal to him (Governor Dickson) that we are coming for a contest. We are not going to choose the next Governor the way under Dickson choose and fighting with the barred of guns to replace their former speaker only last month.

Can you imagine the amount of bullets that was fired at the State House of Assembly just to change a Speaker? This election that is coming is by the power of the ballot. Not by the power of the bullet.

I understand his background which might make him to behave the way he does. But we have come clearly to make different. That is we are party of Change”, said Adams Oshiomhole.

APC National Chairman also promised that before the end of its governorship campaign in the state the party will pay a visit to the Bayelsa Airport built by Governor Dickson and invite him to give account of how much he spent for the project.

“All of us will go to the Control Tower to manage air traffic and see that he must take a plane.

He must strive how he can drive out of the Airport because Bayelsa people did not desire white elephant project. Thank you so much”, said Oshimhole.  

Also speaking t the campaign rally, Omo-Agege told the crowd that the APC and its candidate had won the election already following the failures of the administration of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to develop the state.

The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege

He said despite huge revenue that accrued to the state in the past seven years under Governor Seriake Dickson, there was nothing on ground in the state to justify such amount of money.

He said: “David Lyon is the winner. All the reasons why David Lyon will win this election have been advanced. We want change. We heard our former governor tell us that in the last eight years of Dickson’s administration, he received N1.6trn for Bayelsa.

“As we came in we didn’t see anything good on the ground. Their time is over. Let them step aside and let person that will help the people of Bayelsa step in. For a change, we have a home-grown leader, someone that has been investing his personal money where he resides.

 “Our incoming governor is here with us. He is not an Abuja man. He has invested his money here. Come on November 16, vote for the APC and as you are doing so, know that you have the supports of President Buhari, our party leadership, senators and the House of Representatives”.

In his remarks shortly after receiving the party flag, Chief David Lyon said he and his team would serve the people of the state against the culture of leaders being served by the people.

He promised to end the darkness in the state, create wealth, end insecurity and manage the resources of the state efficiently.

In their different remarks, the governors appealed to the people to elect the APC and align the state to the mainstream politics at the Centre.

Earlier to the rally, Sylva led the team to the secretariat of the Ogbia Brotherhood, a unifying association of all Ogbia people, where the APC leaders and their entourage were received by the Ogbia King and other traditional rulers of various communities in the kingdom.

Ogbia Kingdom traditional Rulers Decorating Chief David Lyon, the Governor to be.

Oshiomhole, Omo-Agege, Lyon and others were decorated in a traditional war outfit by the brotherhood, who prayed and blessed them ahead of the poll.

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