Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The member representing Nembe/ Brass Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Israel Sunny- Goli has urged Governor Henry Seriake Dickson to congratulate the winner of the November 16 Bayelsa governorship election, Chief David Lyon of the All Progressive Congress(APC) in the interest of promoting unity and democracy in Bayelsa State.
Sunny- Goli in a statement he personally signed said it is worrisome that over a week since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Lyon as winner of election, Dickson is yet to congratulate the governor-elect, despite calls from several well-meaning Bayelsans for him to do so.
Sunny- Goli who noted that it is the legitimate right of Dickson, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Senator Douye Diri and the party to challenge Lyon’s victory at the tribunal advised Dickson to walk the talk of his democratic credentials and congratulate Lyon.
The statement reads in part “Dickson should embrace the democratic reality that Lyon has been legitimately voted by majority of Bayelsans. Hence he should in the spirit of sportsmanship be bold enough to congratulate the man who will succeed him by February 14; 2020.The fact that every household in Bayelsa state is happy for the historic electoral victory is a testament that Lyon has the mandate of majority of the people in the state. It is, to say the least, unstatesmanlike for Dickson to continue with his one-man-protest against a victory that is not only accepted by all and sundry, but also seen as a good omen for Bayelsa state. Nobody is stopping Dickson and his party from contesting the outcome of the election at the tribunal. Nonetheless, he should endeavour to congratulate Lyon whom he never imagined would defeat his handpicked candidate. It is sufficient to stress, at this point, that Dickson will advance our democracy in the state by emulating former President Goodluck Jonathan and congratulate the winner of the election. Perhaps, by so doing, history will be kind to him.”