Bayelsa: Dickson’s men dump PDP at APC final rally

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There was massive show of solidarity, Tuesday by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State and its governorship candidate, Chief Timpre Sylva, to wrest power from the Governor Seriake Dickson-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on December 5.

All roads led to Yenagoa, the state capital, as mammoth crowd of party faithful, residents of the states and leaders of the APC thronged the Samson Siasia Stadium to shower love on Sylva’s ambition to become the next governor of the state.

President Muhammadu Buhari represented by Vice-President Yemi Osibanjo; the National Leader of APC and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and former interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande made the final rally of the APC grand and colourful.

The National Working Committee of the APC temporarily relocated to Bayelsa as the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun led other members of the committee to the rally described by people as APC’s icing on the cake ahead of the election.

Governors elected on the platforms of the APC such as Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Aminu Tambuwa (Sokoto) and Rochas Okorocha (Imo) represented by his deputy, Eze Madumere, were all in attendance.

The event was further spiced by the presence of the governorship candidates of the party in the Southsouth states, who are seeking justice in courts, such as Dakuku Peterside (Rivers), Otega Emerhor (Delta) and Umana Umana (Rivers) including Senator Magnus Abe.

The Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir Lawal, and some ministers and members of the federal cabinet graced the occasion.

The ranks of the PDP were further depleted and the chances of Dickson narrowed following the defections of serving commissioners and other officials of the government to the APC at the venue of the event.

The tumultuous crowd was entertained by the performances and presence of notable musical artistes such as Face, Maleke, J.Martins, Nollywood star and now member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Eliot.

A group of beautiful maidens called Sylva Angels excited the crowd with their victory dance.
Massive crowd of party faithful who endured scorching sun elbowed and shoved one another just to catch a glimpse of the programme.

Speaking for the President, Osibanjo said it was time for Bayelsa to change from PDP to APC to realign with the centre.

He said: “The time for change has come. The time of prosperity, the time of good governance has come. Don’t miss the train. What the President wants is that you will join what we are doing in the federal level. Bayelsa deserves its pride of place among the states of Nigeria.

“This state and its people are great. But you must do the right thing. The right thing is to leave from the PDP to the APC. It is time to move. On Saturday, you deserve the right to go to the polling booth with your PVC and you will make that change on Saturday.

“After that you will have the right to demand. You will have the right to ask our candidate who will be the next governor what he promised you. I promise you that you will see a real difference.

“There will be job, progress in this state. Everyone one of us looking for promotion will have it by the grace of God. You will achieve great things”.

Also speaking, Tinubu whose name and presence excited the crowd, asked the people of the state to send PDP with its 16 years of ineptitude out of power.

He said after 16 years of government, PDP could only boast of hunger, unemployment, darkness and absence of basic amenities.

The former Lagos state governor who gingered the crowd said APC is the cure for headache, unemployment and other societal ills brought about by the misrule of PDP.

He said the people who had been led in the wilderness now have the opportunity to bring prosperity by voting out the party he described as Poverty Development Party.

The APC National Leader who spent time to demonstrate to the people where and how they should vote on Saturday, however, enjoined them to eschew violence at the poll.

He told the crowd to vote for the broom, the symbol of the party and defend their votes by waiting and ensuring that their votes are counted.

He said the Saturday poll represents freedom for the people of the state and stressed that the road to freedom is not easy.

He said: “For 16 years you have been led in the wilderness by poverty development party. Send PDP away with its poverty, no water, unemployment, darkness.

“Vote and defend your votes. They are already afraid. You are already the master. Sylva is back. He has bounced back. Only you can make him win”.

In his remarks, Lawal said the silver lining has come to the state and asked the people to return to the government at the centre.

He said identifying with the centre would enable the state to have its fair share of dividends of democracy.

Besides, Oyegun thanked the people for welcoming him with surprises each time he visits the state and urged them to give him the most important gift by returning Sylva to government house.

He said the entire party and machinery of the federal government relocated to the state to demonstrate the value they value attached to Bayelsa by the APC government.

Oyegun who called for a minute’s silence each for late Abubakar Audu and late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha said Sylva would give security, employment and other dividends of democracy to the state when elected.

He said: “Saturday is the D Day. It will be the biggest present to our dear President when you return Sylva to the Government House. Victory is assured.”

In his speech, the elated Sylva said he had come to rescue Bayelsa from the tight fist of darkness, dirt, unemployment and underdevelopment.

He said: “The people of Bayelsa must be developed. Their salaries and pensions must be paid. We are going to focus on diversifying the economy, creating jobs, wealth and bringing security to Bayelsa. We will strengthen the civil service.

“We will pay civil servants salaries and we will pay scholarships of our students. It is wicked to send our children abroad on scholarships and ask them to fend for themselves. Go straight and vote for APC and make sure your votes count.

“We must not give room for violence. On December 5, Pharaoh will fall and the Egyptians will be under the Red Sea, that is the meaning of Opuabadi. My government will be about you and not about my family.”

Source: Vanguard