Global Overseer News

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has confidence to win Saturday’s Bayelsa State governorship election adding that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Seriake Dickson failed the people.

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of APC speaking David Lyon smiling

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of APC, the Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege and nine APC governors among other party leaders dropped the hint during the grand finale of the party’s governorship campaign of Chief David Lyon at Ox-Bow Lake pavillion in Yenagoa.

A large crowd of residents, comprising some traditional rulers, chiefs, women and youths defied initial downpour to partake in the party’s final campaign. Members of the National Assembly, ministers, presidential aides and notable politicians, including members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and former militant leaders attended the rally.

Governors Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun); Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and Mohammed Badaru (Jigawa) attended.

From left- right is Senator Biobarakuma Degi, Chief David Lyon

A notable former militant leader, Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, popularly known as Boyloaf, who spoke on behalf of other ex-creek warlords, said after due consultations, they decided to adopt Lyon.

Describing Governor Seriake Dickson as an emperor, Boyloaf said the ex-militant leaders would work to dethrone the PDP administration.

Also yesterday, 20 political parties and their candidates, led by the Chairman of All Blending Party (ABP), Mr Willy Ifidi, declared their support for Lyon and promised to deliver 20,000 votes to ensure his election.

Oshiomhole lampooned Dickson for throwing Bayelsa, including Yenagoa, into darkness for eight years.

He said only those, who support the activities of witches and wizards, would allow a capital city like Yenagoa to be without street lights.

According to the APC National Chairman, Lyon would restore the streetlight in Yenagoa if elected.

He noted that Dickson was panicking ahead of the poll because he had mismanaged the resources and the people of Bayelsa and Lyon were coming to hold him to account.

Oshiomhole warned Dickson against resorting to violence, saying such desperate move would further plunge him deeper into problems.

He said: “Dickson is panicking. How can he not panic when the real Lyon has arrived? Who will not panic when you cannot point at the schools you have built and a Lyon is coming?

“Won’t you panic when you borrow as much as Dickson has borrowed to do things that people cannot see and now a Lyon is coming to ask questions?”

“If you are being accused of spending almost N100billion to construct less than 3.5km runway and nothing is running and now a Lyon is coming to hold you to account, won’t you panic? I think Governor Dickson deserves our sympathy.

“But the best he can do is not to complicate his own problems by resorting to violence. It will not help him and it will not take him far and he cannot survive it.”

Oshiomhole said Lyon grew in the community and has experienced what the ordinary Bayelsan has experienced.

“He knows the meaning of poverty and he understands how poverty dehumanises. He has struggled against forces and he is an example of what is possible when a man is focused.

“I believe that the people of Bayelsa state by coming out to vote for Lyon will be making a bold statement that in democracy anybody who is focused, determined and relate with people and community can be supported to a position of authority. Dickson will soon find out that democracy is a leveller and an equalizer,” he said.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva said Dickson and the PDP’s desperation was a sign of failure.

According to the former Bayelsa governor, the PDP was attacking APC members and shopping for court judgments to stop the opposition from contesting the election.

Throwing insight into the airport project and Dickson’s government, Sylva said: “It has been eight years of mismanagement. Civil servants will attest to it. A state like Bayelsa cannot pay salaries. How many are we in Bayelsa? The outgoing government has received over N1trillion in allocations.

“But what can you see in Bayelsa? It is the darkness that we can see everywhere. Governor Dickson said he had built an airport. A few days ago, he brought some people to come and walk on the tarmac. I thought he was going to bring planes to land on the tarmac.

“We did not argue the fact that there is a tarmac. But what we are saying is that it is a substandard tarmac. It was not built in conformity with the laws of aviation. And that is why the airport had not been approved. I have challenged Dickson that if he built an airport, he should land on the airport. It a shame on Dickson and his government.

“The biggest shame is that this airport is the most expensive airport in the world. So far, Dickson has spent N91billion. He owes N58.2billion on the airport to banks.

“He spent directly from state government coffers N8.5billion. The interest of this loan is about N16.2billion and other charges are over N8billion. The total is N91billion.”

According to Sylva, the state owes Sterling Bank N40billion; Ecobank N15billion; UBA N1.25bn and FCMB N1.9billion, all amounting to N58.2billion “on the airport alone”.

He said: “So you can see why Dickson is very desperate because he knows that he has taken Bayelsa people for a ride. He knows that he had done nothing and he had taken us into debt more than anything else.

“Dickson has been trying to build a 7km Isaac Boro Road for eight years now. Which road has he commissioned since he became a governor?

“He said he is building a road to Ekeremor but has not finished it. He is doing everything to remain in office through a proxy. He is putting a proxy.”

Omo-Agege said there was no development in Bayelsa to justify the revenue allocations accruing to the state. He described Lyon as the only option for Bayelsa.

“Today while I was flying from Port Harcourt to Yenagoa and looked down, I was shaking my head and wondered what could be our sin for Dickson to be treating Bayelsa this way. Did we offend Dickson?

“In an election, you are either a winner or a looser. As we come out on Saturday, come out and cast your votes for APC. David Luon is a home-bred man. He has been using his resources to take care of his people. When he becomes governor, Bayelsa will change,” he said.

Lyon greeted a former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, former President Goodluck Jonathan and E.K. Clark, saying if elected, his administration would respect Ijaw leaders.

He promised to correct all the mistakes of Dickson, solve problems of insecurity and bring pipe-borne water and electricity to the people.

Chairman of the APC Campaign Council for Bayelsa Governorship Election, Abubakar Badaru, thanked the people for withstanding intimidation, supporting the APC governorship candidate.