BAYELSA GUBER: Stop heating up the polity over your candidate’s defeat, APC tells Dickson

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa Sunday urged Governor Seriake Dickson to stop heating up the polity over the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 16 governorship election in the state.

The party urged Dickson to take the path of democracy and rule of law by taking his grievances to the court.

The APC Publicity Secretary in Bayelsa, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, stated these in a statement issued in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The call, the party insisted, was premised on Dickson’s numerous allegations after his party’s defeat in the governorship election.

According to him, Diri Douye lost to the APC candidate, Chief David Lyon, who won with over 70 percent of the votes and defeated his opponent in six of the eight local government areas of the state.

The statement read: “In the last few weeks, since the overwhelming victory of our candidate at the November 16 governorship election, Chief David Lyon, Governor Dickson has inundated the state and the country with wild allegations and inciting comments.

“He has screamed blue murder at all relevant institutions of state, from the electoral body to security agencies, and the winning APC.

“And he has absolved only himself and his section of the PDP of blame.

“From his furious mind, Dickson has issued threats to the electorate in Bayelsa and APC members, particularly, and he has boasted about his capacity to unleash violence and turn the state upside down.

“Dickson has displayed everything, but commitment to democratic ideals and legal processes of electoral conflict resolution.

“We, however, unequivocally state and also remind Dickson that the elections have been concluded and the governor-elect, Chief David Lyon, is only waiting to be sworn into office as the next governor of Bayelsa.

“And for those who feel aggrieved, like Dickson, there are constitutionally prescribed processes open to them to follow in trying to redress their grievances.

“Disparaging the institutions of state and inciting the public to violence are, certainly not among the processes.

“Dickson is not a court of law, he should stop holding court on the governorship election. He cannot be the plaintiff and judge in a case in which he is an interested party. If he has grievances, the place to go is the electoral tribunal.

“Dickson is also not Bayelsa, and he cannot claim to be voicing the opinion of the people, who have overwhelmingly spoken with their votes against his nearly eight years of misrule and mistreatment.

“The people of Bayelsa spoke on November 16 across political boundaries and the message was clear. Dickson must respect the voice of the people.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now