Jesse Ese, Yenagoa

Following the meeting of some 10 aggrieved members of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) with Engr. Eradiri Udengs, IYC President, to unite and work towards the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, one of the candidates who aimed for the position of Financial
Secretary from Bayelsa Central Zone but was denied entrance into the voting hall, Comrade Badagry Lucky, has stated that that is only a formality, that President Jonathan will win the election with or without the IYC.

He also added that those members did not come out willingly to unite with Udengs, that they were motivated to do so Comrade Badagry maintained that he and other candidates who were
denied access into the Samson Siasia Sports Complex on the day of the election are not aggrieved with Eradiri Udengs but the Executive Governor of Bayelsa and the Commissioner of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs.

Giving his reasons, he disclosed that it is because these two forced their way into the IYC and denied them their rights of electing those whom they wanted to pilot the affairs of the council by imposing people on them.

His words, “I am not angry with Eradiri Udengs because it is not his fault. If I have my way and they want to make me the president of Nigeria today, I would not care how they do it. So far I become the president.”

He added that Eradiri Udengs had all the quality to win the election and would have won if the Government of Bayelsa State allowed them to do it by election.

“I saw all the qualities of a good leader in Udengs Eradiri and that was why I campaigned for him. He didn’t know. I called some two guys who were his strong supporters during the campaign, I pushed them forward because I did not want him to notice. I even pasted his
posters all over my car,” he stated.

“I am happy that he is the president of the IYC, he is the only one I see that can take the Ijaw Youths to the next level, because we have been marginalized for so long now, but we are not happy with the manner in which he became the president,” he added.

He also urged president Jonathan to move on that the Ijaws will all give him their support in 2015 presidential election.