Olaoluwakitan Babatunde
Some stakeholders of the opposition All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State have embarked on community by community endorsement for former governor Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party, for the Bayelsa West Senatorial seat.
The stakeholders of the APC in Ekeremor and Sagbama Local Government Area converged at Isampou yesterday and decided that efforts must be made to prevent the political ambition of any politician from damaging the existing cordial relationship between Ekeremor and Sagbama, the two local government areas in the Senatorial district.
The stakeholders and community leaders of Isampou community, Aleibiri community, Amanaigbene, Peretorugbebe, and others were unanimous in their position that they would not support any political party and candidate that would scuttle the existing agreement on power sharing between Sagbama and Ekeremor local government areas which make up the Senatorial district.
Leader of the stakeholders and Chairman APC Grassroots mobilisation Sagbama/Ekeremor, Ebide Brown, said while addressing APC leaders that the party stakeholders had to take the bold decision to wrest the people of the area from needless bitterness and division.
He said that the stakeholders decided to embark on a comprehensive programme of endorsements for Dickson because it was improper and unfair for the two National Assembly positions in the district to go to Ekeremor.
He stressed that any arrangement that promotes an Ekeremor candidacy for the Senate when the position of the House of Representatives is being occupied by an Ekeremor son is both indefensible and unacceptable.
Brown insisted that the two positions of Senator and Member House of Reps are shared between Ekeremor and Sagbama and the two had not gone to any single council since the commencement of democratic governance in 1999,
Brown added that the performance of Dickson as governor was also a major reason the people have resolved to back him for the Senatorial job.
He said: “The Sagbama/ Ekeremor people are grateful to the former governor for the construction of the Sagbama/Ekeremor Road, a university, a polytechnic, general hospitals and several projects in the Sagbama/Ekeremor Senatorial District.
According to him, there is no better and suitable person to go to the Senate than Dickson who has the courage, the experience and the network to speak for the district, Bayelsa State and the Ijaw nation.
Stakeholders at the meeting include Hon, Peres Adakuru, Financial Secretary, APC Grassroots mobilization Sagbama/Ekeremor; Stanley Beralade, leader Amanaigbene community; Tabu Pudiya, Coordinator Foutorugbene Community; Kesta Femone Kesta, Coordinator, Aleibiri community and Hitler Moses, Spokesperson APC grassroots mobilization sagbama/ Ekeremor.
