Tomorrow, the electorate in Bayelsa will file out to pick the governor. Correspondent ISAAC OMBE previews the race.
THE Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) rally in Yenagoa last week was meant to stir the soul of the oil-rich state. It was tagged a take-off rally, but in the context of the run-up to tomorrow’s election, it was more of a grand finale. On the podium was President Goodluck Jonathan, a “son of the soil” who had come to present his beloved political son, Seriake Dickson, to the people. He made commitments and warned. Many of his pronouncements have continued to generate ripples, one week after the rally.
But, the other political parties have not left the field for the troubled ruling party. The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has embarked on massive mobilisation across the state. The party is giving the PDP sleepless nights as its flag bearer, Mr. Kemela Okala, has kept hope alive among his supporters.
The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) contender in the race, Famous Daunemugha, has also embarked on last minute campaigns.
Presidential show of power
The President’s stunning and stinging speech suggested that nothing can stop Dickson’s victory on February 11. He spoke as if it was a swearing-in ceremony for Dickson.
“You are already there and nobody can stop us”, hollered Dr. Jonathan despite the case still pending at the Supreme Court, and even as there are other political parties.
He further said: “You have brought everyone here today; everyone is here because of you. But the only thing I want to tell you is that I was here some months ago and Bayelsans stoned the governor. You must work hard to ensure that they don’t stone you, because if you do not work hard and they stone you, I will join to stone you.”
“I have canvassed the nooks and crannies of the state in the last few weeks where we came face to face with the problems of the state. I will work with Mr. President hand in hand to restore the lost glory of the state .The three Senatorial roads, the novel works you started in the state, will be continued”, Dickson told President Jonathan and the mammoth crowd at the rally.
Director General of the Dickson/ Jonah Campaign Organisation, Keme-to-Keme, Dr. Stella Dorgu, who spoke on reasons behind the massive support being garnered by the party’s candidate since he came into the race, said the people desired change and development in the state.
Dorgu said, “most of us supporting the candidature of Seriake Dickson and Jonah are staking our integrity for development. Because we know they can deliver, we are ready to ensure they are elected. We are all tired of the existing status of the state as a huge ghetto.”
Politics of ACN, CPC, CAP
Okara has been busy receiving party supporters on solidarity visits.
The visits were informed by the defection of five of its members to the Change Advocacy Party (CAP) in the state. To assure him that the defection of a few cannot affect the fortunes of the party, the ACN members led by the National Youth Leader, Mr. Miriki Ebikibina, included supporters from all the nooks and crannies of the state who stormed the Campaign Office in Yenagoa with songs and speeches from various groups.
Responding to the assurances from his supporters, Okara told Bayelsans to respect their conscience and vote for the ACN which he described as the only party with a clean, stainless flag bearer in his person.
He said ACN has been a strong party with track record of providing good governance for the country.
“We will not be distracted by those who have defected’, said Okara who noted that since he became a member of the ACN he had not thought of leaving the party for another, saying he will continue to be a member of the ACN.
Okara, who reaffirmed his commitment to the politics of change, said he had traversed the state in the course of the campaign and could better appreciate the yearning of the people.
Speaking in the same vein, Mikiri who is also the campaign director, said blackmails against the party by a few would not deter its victory. “ACN is a moving train, we are behind you, the state is behind you”, he assured Okara .
Others who spoke in the same vein included Mrs. Diri Ekiyor, Mr. Odusi Sam Ernest, Mike Onisuru of the Movement for Good Governance and Mr.Ebipeledei Enereseimokumo, the South -South Youth Leader who noted that “the defection will not in any way affect our victory, the youths have been mobilised to ensure victory, we will guard our votes”, he assured.
Daunemugha of the CPC and his running mate, Mr. Alaowei Opukeme, chose to adopt a different strategy. They stormed the secretariat of the Correspondents Federated Chapel, where they were grilled by a battery of reporters.
Answering reporters’ questions, Daunemugha reiterated his vision to concentrate on the primary areas of education, health care, power supply, infrastructural development and other areas that will positively affect the well being of Bayelsans if elected governor.
In answer to a question, the CPC flag bearer said: “The development programmes we have thoughtfully engineered to refocus the direction of the state are intended to combat the numerous, but surmountable challenges facing our dear Bayelsa state and these include massive construction of roads and bridges, ensuring qualitative education, provision of sustainable health services, combating unemployment, agriculture and tackling environmental degradation amongst others”.
He added that, “Bayelsa can be a tourist destination if our resources are well tapped and managed. I have been the only candidate who has empowered youths even though I’m not in government; my track records would tell Bayelsans what I can do for them in Creek Haven .
Buoyed by the euphoria of those who just enlisted in its rank, CAP, led by its flag bearer, Dr. Imoro Kubor, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary and his running mate, Rev. Obegha Oworibo, had in the last few weeks taken its campaigns to the Creek settlements in the state, including Akassa, Brass and Okpoama, the country home of Oworibo and former Governor Sylva.
In all the communities where the CAP campaign boat berthed, a large crowd of supporters turned out to give their nod to the bid of the duo. Flaunting their rich experiences in the civil service and pledging to use it to transform the state, the candidates said their style would be different considering their backgrounds, saying that of all the candidates, CAP’s are the most experienced.
At Okpoama, the CAP flag bearers told supporters that areas of concentration if given the ticket to rule the state would include provision of health services and access to education, agricultural revolution and development of physical infrastructure and industrialization. The party also pledged to ensure security of lives and property ; employment generation and youth empowerment.
Everywhere he visited in the course of the campaigns, Kubor, the aeronautics engineer never hesitated to warn his teeming supporters against selling their votes, saying “when you sell your votes, you have sold your future”.
He told the people of sea side communities of Akassa, Brass and Okpoama that: “All Bayelsans, irrespective of political affiliation, religion, senatorial zone or social background should support and vote for the Kubor/Oworibo ticket not on the basis of political party or financial inducement because Bayelsa needs urgent change, and I and Reverend Oworibo have gained much experience and demonstrated that long awaited transformational leadership qualities because of our previous positions of trust in governance in the past 30 years.”
In 24 hours, the case of the contestants will be heard in the court of the electorate. The verdict may take another day before it is declared. Who wins: Dickson, Kemela, Kubor or Daunemugha? Only the jury is empowered to deliver the judgment.
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