Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The political aspiration of All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Chief David Lyon, received a boost on Monday as the Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum (BSF) endorsed him for the governorship ticket.
The BSF in a press conference addressed by Chief Alex Ekiotene said it decided to throw its weight behind Lyon because of his pedigree as a man of peace concerned about the development of Bayelsa State.
Ekiotene noted that Lyon’s ambition is a divine mandate which should be supported by all well-meaning Bayelsans.
While commending the APC for creating a level-playing field for all the aspirants, he said the political aspiration of Lyon represents the cries of oil-producing communities who have been yearning for one of their own to be governor so as to bring development to the neglected areas.
“The Forum has come to a conclusion to support David Lyon because he is a man who has been tested and trusted, and we can trust him with our people. He is a good product and a good product is easy to sell.
“The youths in Bayelsa are yearning for a man like David Lyon. Bayelsans are hungry today; our communities are dirty because of bad governance. This has to change. The peace being enjoyed in the Niger Delta region and Bayelsa can be attributed to Lyon who developed a workable formula that protected pipelines in the region. We have not fared well at all in Bayelsa State. We do not have potable water and we do not have healthcare institutions that are working. We are optimistic that Lyon would change all that is wrong with our communities.”
BSF, however, appealed to Bayelsans and the aspirants to be peaceful during and after the primaries so that political violence would not make the insecurity existing in the state deteriorate.