Bayelsa Guber: Southern Ijaw Leaders Shuns Their Son David Lyon For Diri, Give Reasons For Endorsing PDP Candidate For Governor, Says APC To Pay For Killing Their Sons

Bayelsa Guber: Southern Ijaw Leaders Shuns Their Son David Lyon For Diri, Give Reasons For Endorsing PDP Candidate For Governor, Says APC To Pay For Killing Their Sons

Francis Tayor

Yenagoa____The Political leaders of Southern Ijaw, home local government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, David Lyon have declared total support for PDP candidate Sen Douye Diri for governor, stressing that the APC would pay for the killing of their sons during the National Assembly elections in February, 2019.

They said that months after the PDP ward leader in Oweikorogha, Seidougha Taribi and a Government House photographer, Reginald Dei were shot dead by soldiers on the orders of APC leaders in the area, nobody has been brought to book.

Chief Temple Ogidi who accused APC leader in the state and Minister of Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva of making deliberate attempts to set the LGA on fire, declared that Southern Ijaw people would not allow themselves to be swayed by sentiments and vote for any other party other than the PDP.

He said Chief Sylva’s attempt to field a candidate from SILGA was a deliberate attempt to portray the people of Southern Ijaw as ingrates who do not want other local government areas that constitute the senatorial zone from producing a governor.
He said that the choice for Senator Douye Diri as the governor from Kolokuma/ Opokuma was a divine one, stressing that it would have amounted to greed if Southern Ijaw had allowed her size and strength to oppress and marginalise other LGAs from the zone in the state.

“We have had enough of our youths being killed as a result of election related violence, especially during the last Presidential and NASS election. We do not subscribe to the use of Southern Ijaw as militants’ zone where guns and bullets are used as first resort to development.”

The state chairman of the PDP, Mr. Cleopas Moses said the APC lacks presence to win any election in the state.
The chairman said APC is noted for violence and brigandage, adding that the party did not prepare for the forthcoming election but is looking for how to secure victory through the back door and with the connivance of the agencies of the Federal Government.
The Chief of Staff, Government House, Yenagoa and Chairman, Southern Ijaw PDP Caucus, Talford Ongolo, has called on youths and the people of Southern Ijaw LGA to embrace peaceful, free and fair election without any form of violence. Ongolo made the call during the PDP rally in his hometown, Oporoma, the headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Talford Ongolo expressed dismay over some negative comments against Gov. Henry Dickson-led PDP Restoration Government by some individuals because of politics.
Ongolo, a former governorship aspirant, who noted that the PDP government in the state has done so much for the people of Southern Ijaw called on all his supporters and the good people of Oporoma and Constituency ll to continue their unflinching support for the PDP and massively vote for Senator Diri and Ewhrudjakpo Lawrence in the forthcoming
election.