Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Chief Collins Cocodia, a political adviser to Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, has expressed confidence that former Governor Henry Seriake Dickson would win the October 31 Bayelsa West Senatorial District by-election.
Dickson was elected as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) after polling 334 delegates’ votes as the sole aspirant.
According to Cocodia, Dickson as Governor for eight years did well for Bayelsans, making him the most qualified politician to ensure the Ijaw nation has a strong voice in the National Assembly.
‘He has done so well for Bayelsa State and for us in Bayelsa West. He did very well. Now we are looking for somebody that has a vocal and active voice. The immediate past Governor of Bayelsa, Chief Henry Seriake Dickson, has these qualities. He is going to be one strong voice that the National Assembly would know that Bayelsa has someone that can speak for it. For now he is the most qualified,’ Cocodia stated.
Arguing that Dickson’s opponent from the All Progressive Congress (APC), former Deputy Governor Peremobowei Ebebi, is no match for PDP candidate, Cocodia said the people of the two Local Government Areas would stand to defend the zoning arrangement on power sharing in the area.
‘For me there is no contest. The election is a done deal for former governor Dickson. The reason is that the two local government areas in the Senatorial district have an unwritten agreement which invariably means that if Sagbama is going to produce the Senate seat, the House of Representatives seat would go to Ekeremor. Why he wants to destroy the agreement is not known to us. But I can assure you that Sagbama would reject him almost totally. The reason is that we would not allow a situation where Ekeremor would produce both the House of Representatives member and the Senator at the same time. Even in Ekeremor he is going to lose to former Governor Dickson.’