From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has given insight into how the delegates from the state will only vote during the national convention of the PPeoples Democratic Party (PDP) to choose the party’s flag bearer for the 2023 Presidential election.
This is even as he has declared that the decision of the party to throw the Presidential race open is sacrosanct.
Diri who stated this when he played host to former Vice- President and presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at the Government House Yenagoa explained that though he is a strong proponent of zoning and rotation of the Presidency to the South, he is at home with the party’s decision.
According to him no individual political ambition should be allowed to disorganise and destabilise the party.
Diri stated that delegates from Bayelsa will only cast their votes for a Presidential aspirant who prioritises issues of restructuring, resource control, development and allocation on its agenda.
He noted that as an umpire in the election by the virtue of his position as Gov. Diri, as Vice Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the party, he is unbiased but would allow Abubakar to sell his manifesto to Bayelsa delegates
“We will not listen to any aspirant who does not take into cognizance the very fundamental issues of restructuring of this country. Issues of resource ownership, development and allocation, and that’s why I always ask our people to talk about issues.”
Diri however expressed confidence in Vice President Atiku Abubakar to tackle some of the issues bothering the Niger Delta region.
“Listening to you, you have given hope to the people of Bayelsa, the Ijaw ethnic nationality and the Niger Delta, and indeed hope to Nigeria, because the things that hold us together are issues that has to deal with justice and equity, because wherever there is no justice and equity, there will certainly be insecurity, conflicts and crisis, and that’s what Nigeria is going through.”
On the decision of the PDP to jettison zoning, Diri said the opposition party is interested in the unity of our party, and wrestling power from the failed Government of the APC, and to that extent, “we must put our best foot forward as a party, and whoever that can lead us now to rescue Nigeria, we will all queue behind that person.”
Earlier in his speech, Abubakar, expressed concern over the poor style of governance by the present administration of the APC led government in the area of security, education and all other sectors of the country.
Abubakar stressed that the PDP must put its best candidate forward in order to wrest power back from the APC.
The former vice president called on the party to brace up and be united for the sake of Nigeria, emphasising that the PDP cannot afford to be in opposition again from 2023.
Atiku said: “We must put our best forward. Meaning who we believe can bring us back to power. It is very important. We must brace up as a political party. We must unite to return our political party back to power. We cannot afford to be in opposition again.”