ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
A group of stakeholders from Bayelsa West Senatorial District has urged Governor Douye Diri to intervene in the zoning arrangements for National Assembly seats.
The stakeholders warned Diri of the consequences of allowing some persons to scuttle the existing zoning arrangement between Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas over the National Assembly seats.
The stakeholders, under the aegis of Bayelsa West Professionals (BWP), led by its President, Chief Ateke Sam-Dickson, and Secretary, Comrade Douye Olotu, said the decision to support any person against the zoning arrangement would cost Diri his second term bid.
The BWP, in a statement on Monday argued that the way and manner Diri handled the matter would determine their further support and perception of the Governor in 2023.
The group said some elders and stakeholders in the district supporting the scuttling of the existing zoning arrangement were deliberately plotting the fall of the Governor by using some forces outside the state to deny the existence of zoning and rotation of offices.
The BWP said: “Recall that this age-long practice was reaffirmed recently with a respected Chief of Tarakiri heritage, Ayakeme Whisky, who glowingly read the resolutions to the public and reporters.
“The Governor must exercise his influence positively and cause justice by affirming the existing zoning and allowing Sagbama to have the House of Representatives while the Senate moves to Ekeremor.
“The argument that because it’s Senator Seriake Dickson, the governor should support this injustice is unethical and a call for internal revolution against the party with very colossal political consequences.
“We call on Governor Diri to kindly ask his predecessor to withdraw and honour his word or face massive rejection of the party in the election and future elections too.
“The fact is that there is too much unrefuted and undisputed evidence in print, audio, and video to persuade any sane mind against the existence of the zoning. Ekeremor people have great and politically mature candidates to be senators.
“That is the justice of the matter and nothing more. Afterall, the previous government also ensured that Heineken Lokpobiri and Ben Bruce-Murray respected zoning and stopped them from returning to the Senate. Nobody must not be an exception.
“Our investigation further revealed that a vast majority of Governor Diri‘s appointees have been meeting secretly and have vowed to frustrate and fight the governor should he align with the agenda to return some politicians through the backdoor.
“It’s believed that as part of the first plot, they will massively tender their resignations as a powerful politician from the state has promised to pay them all their salaries for the next one year while they keep the fight.
“It’s further resolved they will also move to APC and ensure that the Governor does not have the second term since he has no moral conscience after pleading with stakeholders of the senatorial district to work with a politician to complete the unexpired term of Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.”