Jonathan in Meeting over Bayelsa Senatorial Seats
President Goodluck Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday paid an unscheduled visit to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital allegedly to settle the political crisis rocking the state.
Immediately the presidential helicopter touch down at the Government House helipad, the president and Governor Seriake Dickson with the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Col. Sam Inokoba and top politicians in the state quickly entered into a closed door meeting at the Presidential guest house. The meeting was still holding as at the time of this report.
This is coming as Senator Nimi Amange who is part of the presidential meeting yesterday withdrew from the senatorial race,
He said that he was withdrawing from the contest to “devote myself and my political family to the electioneering campaigns for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.”
Amange insisted that his decision to withdraw from the Bayelsa east
senatorial race was based on a careful reading of the political
demography of the state.
“A careful study suggested that the political climate in Bayelsa State is too gloomy, being the president’s senatorial district nothing but peace is required”, he said.
And in a related development, the former governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has been advised to drop his ambition for the Bayelsa central senatorial ticket in the PDP.
“A careful study suggested that the political climate in Bayelsa State is too gloomy, being the president’s senatorial district nothing but peace is required”, he said.
And in a related development, the former governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has been advised to drop his ambition for the Bayelsa central senatorial ticket in the PDP.
A senatorial aspirant and former principal secretary to Governor
Seriake Dickson, Mr. Douye Diri, gave the advice at the PDP secretariat,
saying the former governor should concentrate on his role as a father
figure to all Bayelsans.
It was learnt that Alamieyeseigha, who is from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, had submitted his expression of interest form to run for the Senate in 2015.
Said he, “For Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, politically speaking, his declaration is actually very wrong. He is from Southern Ijaw. The LGA person has been there for eight years. For another Southern Ijaw man again, particularly for a person we all have very high regard and respect for, I expect that Alamieyeseigha should be a father figure for all of us. He should play more of an advisory role to us and allow us (the younger ones) to also grow.”
It was learnt that Alamieyeseigha, who is from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, had submitted his expression of interest form to run for the Senate in 2015.
Said he, “For Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, politically speaking, his declaration is actually very wrong. He is from Southern Ijaw. The LGA person has been there for eight years. For another Southern Ijaw man again, particularly for a person we all have very high regard and respect for, I expect that Alamieyeseigha should be a father figure for all of us. He should play more of an advisory role to us and allow us (the younger ones) to also grow.”
He advocated that the zoning of senatorial seats should be respected in the interest of peace and unity.
Diri said, “Either in written or by convention, there is zoning. The first senator to represent the district when Bayelsa was created, Senator Brigidi, served the district for two terms. He wanted to go for third tenure, but the people said no.
“At the end of the day, Senator Emmanuel Paulker emerged from Yenagoa LGA and he has also served two terms and the people are now saying the position should move to Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA. Suffice it to say that Kolokuma/Opokuma is one area that has suffered for the emancipation of Ijaw man dating back to the days of late Major Adaka Boro, up to the Kaiama declaration, down to the burning down of Odi and several other Ijaw activities.”
Diri said, “Either in written or by convention, there is zoning. The first senator to represent the district when Bayelsa was created, Senator Brigidi, served the district for two terms. He wanted to go for third tenure, but the people said no.
“At the end of the day, Senator Emmanuel Paulker emerged from Yenagoa LGA and he has also served two terms and the people are now saying the position should move to Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA. Suffice it to say that Kolokuma/Opokuma is one area that has suffered for the emancipation of Ijaw man dating back to the days of late Major Adaka Boro, up to the Kaiama declaration, down to the burning down of Odi and several other Ijaw activities.”
He lamented that the senatorial district had suffered for about eight
years from ineffective representation, disconnect with the people,
adding that for eight years, there had been no senatorial meeting in the
district.
He said if his aspiration sailed through and he became the Senator, his major focus would be to reconnect the people to the National Assembly by providing effective representation and working in tandem with the state government to attract constituency projects to the people.
He said if his aspiration sailed through and he became the Senator, his major focus would be to reconnect the people to the National Assembly by providing effective representation and working in tandem with the state government to attract constituency projects to the people.
ThisDay
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