Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Henry Seriake, Dickson, has clinched the automatic nomination of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the Bayelsa West Senatorial District bye-election.
The Returning Officer, Barr Nicholas Obhiseh, returned Chief Dickson as the validly nominated candidate for the senatorial contest, having polled 334 out of 338 accredited delegates, with four invalid votes.
The members of the PDP from Sagbama and Ekeremor decided not to pick the party’s nomination form as a mark of honour to the ex Governor
Speaking shortly after his return as the PDP senatorial candidate, Chief Dickson commended the people for their dedication, loyalty, support and prayers throughout his eight years as governor and for finding him worthy of another serious assignment.
He commended party supporters from the senatorial district for the honour given to him to hold the party’s ticket in spite of several top political leaders qualified for the contest.
Chief Dickson praised the people for leaving all their engagements to troop out in the rain to welcome him back to the senatorial district.
The former governor, who promised the people that he would not fail them, said that Bayelsa West, Bayelsa and indeed the Ijaw nation needed a strong voice and representation in the National Assembly, particularly at a time when controversial legislation like the Water Resources bill were being reintroduced into the legislature.
He said that he had always being in the vanguard of the defence of the people on sensitive matters such as the Water Resources bill, restructuring, resource control, revenue allocation, and others.
Chief Dickson called on the people of Ekeremor and Sagbama, the two Local Government Areas making up the senatorial district, to be resolute in defence of the long standing power sharing agreement between the two Local Government Areas making up the district.
He advised the people to resist those who were out to destroy the prevailing peace and unity between the members of the two communities.
Chief Dickson stated:
‘I am a proponent of the zoning. This will make Sagbama and Ekeremor become more united in the interest of posterity. I will spearhead it.
‘We will defeat those who are working against the interest of the Ijaw nation.
‘After the primaries, there should be operation deliver your unit, ward, your community,
‘The unity of Ekeremor and Sagbama should be sustained. We should not subvert the unity of our people because of individual selfish interest of some persons.
‘There are a lot of battles at the National Assembly; the voice of the Ijaw nation should be heard.
‘This election is for the unity of our people, it is not about me. Sagbama and Ekeremor unity will triumph.’