Silver vs Dickson
Governor Seriake Dickson and his campaign team were in the communities to meet with the people in continuation of his grassroots tour.
The people of the clans said PDP was the only party that has been fair to the communities in terms of political appointment and provision of infrastructure.
They commended Dickson for his leadership and efforts to change the fortunes of the state from the situation he inherited to a promising one and declared that he deserved to be re-elected.
They consequently pledged their support to ensure that the people vote en-masse for the governor at the December 5 election.
To further support their endorsement for the governor, the people chorused the same line of appreciation of the governor, saying the PDP accorded their communities a priority by making their son, Seibarugu, the speaker and subsequently the deputy governor of the state.
While denouncing their membership of the APC, they pledged to work for the Dickson’s re-election with conviction that he would deliver on his promises to further enhance development in their communities.
At Ogboloma, headquarters of ward 7 in Yenagoa Constituency 2, Mr. Obalakumo Agent, who led other defectors to the PDP, disclosed that they were hoodwinked to join the APC, stressing that the party did not mean well for the state but only believed in propaganda and blackmail.
Similarly, at Polaku community, hometown of the member representing the constituency in the State House of assembly, Hon. Ebiowou Koku, PDP also received a crowd of defectors.
Receiving the defectors, Acting Chairman of PDP, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff, described them as great members of the party who were only distracted by the opposition party and assured them of full integration.
Governor Dickson who addressed the mega rally at Okolobiri thanked the people for their support and urged them to troop out to vote on December 5 without any fear of molestation.
Ex-Speaker, PDP trade words over threat to life
Former Acting Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Nestor Binabo, has cried out that his life is being threatened for supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the December 5 governorship elections.
Binabo, who spoke in Yenagoa on Monday, said he has been fingered as the greatest obstacle to the governor’s re-election in Sagbama Local Government Area.
Both Binabo, a leader of the All Progressives Congress, and Dickson, are from the same Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
Incidentally, Binabo was the acting governor of the state and he handed over to Dickson in 2012 on February 14, 2012.
Binabo said he decided to cry out following attacks on APC leaders in the state by suspected thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party, which had already claimed the life of an APC stalwart and left many others injured.
According to Binabo, being a political stakeholder in Sagbama local government area, his defection to APC is a source of worry to the Governor Dickson-led administration.
“It is not a surprise to me at all, as a former Deputy Speaker, a Speaker, and an acting governor of this state having moved to APC and more so from his own local government, he knows he has failed.
“So, I would not pretend to say that my life is in danger. I have said it sometime ago when my wife was kidnapped. I accused the government and now there is a public declaration that I am the enemy of the PDP.
Binabo said the alleged threats on his life would not deter him from supporting the APC and working for the victory of the party’s candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Meanwhile, the PDP has denied Binabo’s allegation, describing it as wicked.
The PDP in a statement on Monday by Director of Publicity, Bayelsa Restoration Campaign Organisation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, stated that there was no time Binabo was described as the enemy of the governor or the government.
Obuebite said any imputation to link the Governor Dickson-led government to such allegation was not only wicked but callous political orchestration which should be condemned.
Obuebite said Dickson was not the conventional politician who trades in lies or engages in needles propaganda and blackmail to score cheap political points.
Rather, he said, Dickson would use his time to campaign on issues that would enhance the well being of the electorate.
2Face campaigns against violence
As part of its awareness campaign against violence in the forthcoming governorship election in Bayelsa State, the 2Face Foundation in collaboration with the Bayelsa Non Governmental Organizations Forum (BANGOF) has launched campaign to promote peace in the election.
The awareness campaign with the slogan, “Vote Not Fight, Election No Be War”, is for the 2015 election and to transform the Nigerian youths into being peacemakers and ambassadors in their communities for the promotion of a conflict-free environment during the electoral process.
Speaking over the weekend in Yenagoa by the Ambassador of the campaign, Mr. 2Face Idibia said he was motivated to go into the campaign following the series of violence that have always heralded election processes in the country.
He called on the youths not to allow themselves to be used as tools in promoting violence before, during and after elections, noting that youths remained the future of the country and should not allow themselves to be used by politicians for violence purposes.
Also speaking, the Senior Programme Manager, National Democratic Institute (NDI), Mr. MachillManidu Maxwell said the campaign was instituted to encourage youths to peacefully take part in the electoral process, and recognizes that political participation, not violence is the best way to advocate for change.
“The campaign is focused on Nigerian youth and upholds the belief that the greatest resource for its future development is its youthful population. It promotes a message of zero-tolerance for the use of youth groups by politicians to commit acts of violence or political hooliganism before, during and after the elections”, he stated.
Maxwell further noted that their message to the Bayelsa youths, both male and female was to educate them about their civic rights and responsibilities in the December governorship elections, stressing that such campaign inspires youths to make active and positive contributions to the election and politics generally.
In his contribution, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nasiru Oki who was represented by Emmanuel Idowu(DSP) admonished the youths against violence, saying they are the people who get wounded in any violence-ridden election.
Violence hits Bayelsa guber as APC, PDP clash
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Violence has broken out in the governorship campaigns in Bayelsa state with Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) alleging that members of the All Progressives Congress( APC) have unleashed terror by burning five buildings at Oweiggbene Ekeremor local government area and wounding two people at Agudama- Ekpetiama, Yenagoa local government area.
Investigations revealed that the burning of the houses belonging to chieftains of the PDP in Oweigbene came on the heels of the killings of a stalwart of the APC, Andrew June by suspected thugs of the PDP.
Supporters of the APC in a reprisal action were said to have set the houses on fire based on directive from APC chieftains in order to foment trouble.
The Director of Publicity of the Bayelsa Restoration Campaign Organisation (BYRCO), Hon Jonathan Obuebite said APC members on hearing about the death of June decided to descend on the property of APC members.
He disclosed that it was APC members that first drew the first blood as they prevented PDP members from mounting a banner of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson in the area.
“The APC members drew the first blood as they attacked PDP members’ with cutlass, cudgel and other dangerous weapons. During the fracas that lasted for close to one hour, the deceased and three other people from both camps sustained injuries and were rushed to a clinic in Ojobo”.
Obuebite said that in order to prevent the matter from degenerating to bloodletting, the matter was reported at the Divisional Police headquarters.
He said the incident has been reported to the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State, Mr Nasiru Oki who has directed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to take inventory of all the properties allegedly destroyed by the APC members.
On the attack on PDP members in Agudama- Ekpetiama, in which two PDP members were critically injured, Obuebite described the attack as barbaric and most unacceptable.
According to him, suspected thugs of APC attacked PDP members shortly after Governor Dickson had ended his campaign in the community.
He called on security operatives to beam their searchlight on the chieftains of the APC and their activities in the state.
Meanwhile, majority of the political parties have shunned a meeting called by Oki to address threats of violence during campaigns and the elections.
Oki who is said to be worried about the gradual building of tension ahead of the governorship election had scheduled a meeting with the campaign coordinators to address the issue of the violence.
However, only the APC and CPP sent representatives while the other political parties ignored the invitation for the meeting and forced the Police to reschedule it.
The Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), Mr Ansim Butwats who confirmed the incident of arson in Ekerenor said the meeting with the campaign coordinators has been rescheduled because of the poor attendance.
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