Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Barely 24 hours to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election, the path to the governorship ticket was further made smooth for Senator Douye Diri by the Governor Henry Seriake Dickson-led political group nicknamed Restoration Team as PDP stakeholders from Nembe, Yenagoa, Sagbama, Brass and Ogbia local government areas endorsed him.
The endorsement from poll watchers has dealt a fatal blow to the aspiration of the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd) and the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Kemela Okara from Nembe and Yenagoa LGAs respectively.
The PDP stakeholders meeting for Nembe was held at Domaris Hotel, chaired by the Commissioner for Education, Hon Robinson Obuebite. It was gathered that stakeholders from Nembe decided to endorse Diri to continue from the vision of Dickson to develop Bayelsa State.
Obuebite flanked by the Chairman of Nembe Local Government Council, Chief Alalibo West and member representing Nembe Constituency 1 in the House of Assembly, Hon Ben Ololo, stated that Dickson as the leader of the PDP in the state had been good to Nembe people and to reciprocate the love the governor has for Nembe kingdom, they would need to follow his lead in picking a visionary leader like Diri.
The stakeholders while listing all the achievements the Dickson government had achieved in eight years, maintained that they were endorsing Diri independent of any promptings from Governor Dickson, noting that from all the 21 aspirants, Diri represents the best option to forge ahead with the restoration dream.
The meeting of Yenagoa PDP stakeholders which held at Yenagoa Local Government Council multipurpose Hall and chaired by Hon Oforji Oboku, member representing Yenagoa Constituency 1, said they are endorsing Diri because of his sterling qualities to continue from where Dickson would stop.
PDP leaders from Ogbia Local Government Area including the Commissioner for Special Duties, Prince Isiki and the Chairman of the Environmental Sanitation Authority, Chief Robert Enogha met at Ayallah Hotel, Yenagoa and also endorsed Diri stating that it was in line with the vision of the Restoration Team to back one of their one.
PDP stakeholders in Sagbama Local Government Area including the Chairman of the Restoration Caucus, Dr Osusu, Commissioner for Employment, Chief Collins Cocodia, Hon Salo Adikumo , Hon Bernard Kenebai, Hon Oyinke Godbless and Hon Peter Akpe also endorsed Diri for the PDP governorship ticket.
The stakeholders meeting for Brass chaired by the Deputy-Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon Abrahm Ngobere, also endorsed Diri as the right candidate to continue the restoration vision for the state.
However, the political camps of Jonah, Okara and other aspirants of the Restoration Team from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area have said they were not losing sleep over the endorsement of Diri, noting that the delegates would decide and not endorsements.