Governor Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said described his victory as triumph for democracy.
The governor in a statement issued in Yenagoa, on Sunday, January 10, by his chief press secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, thanked the electorate for their gallantry in ensuring his re-election for another four years.
He described his victory as triumph for democracy, adding that there would be no celebration because of the people that lost their lives during the election, The Punch reports.
Dickson, who promised to bring the killers to book also restates his commitment 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,” he said.
Dickson, who extended a hand of fellowship to his political opponents said election had been won and lost, noting that there is a need for Bayelsans and the challenge of improving their material condition remained his focus.
“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,” he said.
In a related development, the PDP governors forum in a statement issued in Abuja, by the coordinator of the forum, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu, hailed Bayelsa people for resisting what it described as “brute force and terror unleashed on them in the Saturday supplementary election by the APC.”
The forum said if not 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.”
“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,” the forum said.
Governor Dickson scored a total of 134,998 votes to beat Timipre Sylva of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who scored 86,852 votes in the supplementary election. Merged with the result of the December 5, 2015 election, the governor polled a total number of 134, 998 votes, while Sylva polled 86,852 votes.
Bayelsans have reportedly trooped out on the streets of the state capital, Yenagoa, to celebrate the re-election of Governor Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for another term of four years.
The national leadership of the PDP has hailed the people of Bayelsa state for standing against intimidation, rigging and violence in Saturday’s supplementary election. A Senator representing Bayelsa East Constituency in Bayelsa state,Senator Ben Murray Bruce, had also sent a congratulatory message to Governor Dickson over his re-election as governor of the state
0 comments:
Post a Comment