By: Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe.
Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital went superlatively agog as shakers and movers of the Nigerian political milieu stormed the grand finale of the governorship electioneering campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva.
The Bayelsa State capital knew no sleep since last night as droves of political bigwigs, political associates of the governorship candidate and millions of APC party faithful and supporters from across the country over booked all hotels, guest houses and resort centres. The youths organised dancing spots and entertainment joints throughout the state to ensure that visitors to the state are well entertained and cared for free of charge prior to the mega rally which took place today.
A businessman and human rights activist (name withheld for security reasons) who spoke to RDMG correspondent at the venue of the mega rally said today’s event happens to be the most colourful and outstanding of all political gatherings in Bayelsa governorship elections campaign since the advent of constitutional democracy in 1999.
He noted that from the several campaign outings of the major contestants (referring to Gov. Sylva and Dickson) the youths of Bayelsa displayed uncommon passion and love for the APC candidate who they described as a well grounded politician and mingles with the people irrespective of class and political affiliations.
The highly infectious, contagious and progressive wind of CHANGE blow across the entire state of Bayelsa as fishermen and women, students and artisans, professionals, semi-skilled and unskilled workers abandoned their duty posts to catch a fair glimpse of the array of dignitaries at the rally.
The huge crowd were flabbergasted by the superlative oratory of APC national leaders who mounted the political podium to real out the party’s manifesto and Gov. Sylva’s change agenda and blueprint for rapid socioeconomic development of the state, particularly infrastructural development, education, science and technology, land and waterway modern transportation system, peace and security, building of new markets and other such innovations that would catapult the state from its present sorry state to a state of envy in the very near future.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo told the teaming crowd of supporters and party faithful that the state of Bayelsa has been left behind in terms of development due mainly to lack of great vision and poor governance offered the good people of Bayelsa State by the PDP government well known for mismanagement of human, material and financial resources.
He disclosed that Bayelsa state earns so much from federal revenue allocations plus internally generated revenue but the billions of naira that was raked-in by the Seriake administration are not visible in terms of the overall development of the state which is why Bayelsans must reject the retrogressive and poor governance of the PDP.
VP Osinbajo groaned in his spirit with acute bitterness and said that he decided to shelve other important official engagements to come to Bayelsa State to support Gov. Sylva of the APC because of his strong believe that the people of Bayelsa have been short-changed and that with Sylva in the saddle as Governor of the state, God will restore all that the locust, the caterpillars and cankerworms have eaten from the state treasury of the state.
He urged Bayelsans not to be deceived by sub-standard overhead bridge which was commissioned recently by the Seriake administration, pointing out that the people of the state deserves much more than a mere overhead bridge which was hurriedly completed to score cheap political points.
Also addressing the millions of supporters, APC National Leader and one of the Architects of Nigerian modern democracy, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said Bayelsa State is far behind in terms of development and that the Seriake Dickson’s administration further impoverished the people of Bayelsa through his primitive style of leadership. He said PDP leaders in Bayelsa are barren of modern socioeconomic ideas and proactive leadership qualities needed to deliver quality service to the people.
The APC Chieftain disclosed that the federal government is at the moment struggling and working round the clock to right the wrongs of the PDP at the national level due to the massive looting and reckless mismanagement of the nation’s resources. He opined that the same trend had reared its ugly head in Bayelsa due to the fact that Gov. Seriake Dickson has been managing the resources of the state like a private estate.
