The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Seriake Dickson, who was declared winner of the state governorship election on Sunday, thanked the electorate for their gallantry in ensuring his re-election for another four years, adding that his victory was triumph for democracy.
He,
however, said there would be no celebration because of the number of lives that
were lost in the course of the election.
Dickson,
in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, on Sunday
night in Yenagoa, however, vowed that he would go after the killers during the
election and bring them to justice.
He
promised to work tirelessly to justify the mandate given to him “as we tried to
do in the first four years to almost universal acknowledgement and
approbation.”
While
extending a hand of fellowship to his political opponents, Dickson said since
election had been won and lost, the needs of Bayelsans and the challenge of
improving their material condition remained his focus.
He said, “To the extent that the people ensured that they spoke loud and clear
and that their choice clearly emerged provide some reassurance that our
democracy is coming of age.
“Sadly,
however, the elections were conducted at the price of several lives lost and
mayhem visited on many communities by mindless brigands clearly suborned by
those who do not respect the democratic process and have equally scant regard
for the sanctity of lives and property.
“Unfortunately,
we can’t celebrate because people have died.
“I
want to assure you that we will do everything possible to identify the culprits
and bring them to justice. I want to express my heartfelt condolences and
sympathy to the families of the innocent victims of the violence. The
government will be undertaking a full accounting of what happened.
“The
mandate you have given us having been clearly demonstrated, I want to assure
you that my administration will work tirelessly to justify this mandate as we
tried to do in the first four years to almost universal acknowledgement and
approbation.”
In
its own reaction, the PDP Governors Forum hailed the people of Bayelsa State
for standing against what it called brute force and terror unleashed on them in
the Saturday supplementary election by the APC.
The
governors said this in a statement by the coordinator of the forum, Mr. Osaro
Onaiwu, in Abuja.
It
hailed the winner of the election, who is a member of the forum, Dickson.
The
governors said but for the resilience and determination of the people, the “APC
was inordinately out to capture the state as if it was a trophy of war”.
The
PDPGF added, “It is unfortunate that a party that came into office through a
free and fair process offered by an incumbent has neglected to imbibe
democratic tenets by engaging in thuggery and outright violence as if the state
is a trophy of war.
“The
Bayelsa election is a wake-up call to all Nigerians to reject any extra
constitutional means by which the APC intends to cling to power.
“We
call on our members in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Edo States to brace in the coming
days and show that the PDP is indeed the custodian of democracy as it has done
for the past 16 years.”
Source: The Punch
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