Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial aspirant, Mr. Godknows Igali has congratulated the eventual winner of party’s ticket Douye Diri on his success.
The former Nigerian Ambassador to the Scandanavian countries also extended his congratulations to the successful candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, David Lyon.
Speaking at a praise and worship service organised by his supporters and campaign staff in his residence at Opolo, Yenagoa, on Thursday, Igali commended both candidates, for their aspiration to serve the people of Bayelsa and urged them to lead an issues based campaign.
He urged the duo to focus on solutions that can advance the progress of the state and improve the conditions of her people.
Although Igali described the conduct of the primaries by both parties as successful, he condemned some of the behind-the-scenes intrigues that preceded the actual voting.
He decried what he described as “the arrogant display of mind boggling sums of money” by agents of the Bayelsa State Government and several other aspirants to induce voters and pressure them to reject their preferred electoral choice.
He warned that this could impact on the quality of government after the elections.
The former envoy noted that in spite of efforts by various administrations towards the economic development of Bayelsa state, available data from the National Bureau of Statistics still showed that the state remained one of the most backward in terms of access to potable water, access to sanitation, access to anti-natal care.
“The state is also grappling with dilapidated infrastructure, high prevalence of open defecation, malnutrition and absence of electric power.”
He therefore, questioned the orgy of sharing big money to delegates instead of addressing the issues that affect them the most.
Igali charged Mr. Diri and his APC counterpart Lyon as well as their campaign teams to focus on how Bayelsa can surpass the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He urged that “this must be the benchmark for our people to live in the 21st century as many parts of Nigeria are beginning to do.
He further stated ” Increasingly, the reliance on allocations from the central government for sustainable economic and social development, and for ushering our people into modern living will become an anachronism.”
The former aspirant urged both candidates to redirect their energies on strategies and clear roadmaps on how to bring development” through non traditional and innovative sources.”
Expressing gratitude to those who stood by him during the period leading up to the primary, Igali said the plight of the common person motivated his entrance into the Guber race.
He therefore encouraged Bayelsans to put the primaries behind and move on with the aim of focusing on a new Bayelsa.
“We must therefore move on to new grounds and recover our state and the Ijaw nation for the collective good of our children and even those unborn,” he added.
