By:Olufemi Lawson
As the race for who represents Bayelsa West Senatorial District at the Nigerian Senate gatheres momentum. The people of the Senatorial District, Bayelsans and Nigerians at large are increasingly becoming interested, in the choice that the people of the Senatorial district will make on October 31, 2020. The choice of those, elected to represent the various constituencies which constitutes the National Assembly, is an issue of interest to Nigerians, whenever the far reaching effects of their decisions on the existence of the average Nigerian, are considered.
The smell of victory and the taste of success are known to be sweet. In the forthcoming Bayelsa West Senatorial byelection in which former Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and former deputy governor, Perebomowei Ebebi, of the All Progressives Congress APC will lock horns, it is becoming clear who the people of Bayelsa West will vote for in the historic election.
Amongst Bayelsans generally, it is becoming obvious by the day that the legacies of the quality leadership, enjoyed by the State, under Hon. Seriake Dickson’s leadership as the Governor must be sustained. This is a fact judging from the developments across every communities particularly as reflected in Bayelsa West Senatorial District.
Curiously enough, the APC is advocating change, bringing forward a candidate, whose pedigree are not hidden to the public. Marketing such a candidate to the people of the Senatorial district at a time that Nigerians are faced with one of the most disappointing moment of our history, judging by the woeful performance of the APC at the Federal government.
Inadvertently, they have forgotten that Bayelsans are not interested in their unrealizable Change, being preached in the State.
To the people of the Senatorial District, the way the APC has been conducting itself shows clearly that it lacks confidence in its candidate.
Keen watchers of the forthcoming election campaigns have seen this lack of confidence in the ability of Ebebi to say the correct things to win Votes. This has been the trend but the candidature of Hon Henry Seriake Dickson of the PDP has clearly shown that the APC and its candidate are going no where in the forthcoming Bayelsa west Senatorial byelection.
Indeed, the concern amongst the electorate and Bayelsan in general is not that Dickson and the PDP will retain the Bayelsa West seat, vacated by the incumbent Deputy Governor of the State, but by what margin of victory, considering some scanty support of Ebebi in one of the Local governments constituting the Senatorial District. Again, the reason and telltale signs are there for all to see.
The first is that Bayelsans have successfully resented and resisted the desperation of APC to hijack power in the State.
The APC should know, that Bayelsa in a predominantly PDP state and the party, still in power and wield enormous power clout contrary to Ebebi’s lack of articulation and incoherence of ideas.
The message they seem to be passing to their surprised acquaintances is that they are back because the game is up and they know for certain that it is no business as usual in the corridors of power in Bayelsa politics. This is because the Seriake Dickson’s leadership has upset the apple cart of APC’s expectations and federal might at every given elections.
Electing Dickson as a senator, will be a further affirmation of the trust of the people in his capacity to render selfless services, towards the collective aspirations of his constituents, and perhaps an appreciation of former Governor Dickson, for his selfless service, as the Governor of Bayelsa State.
Such is the assurance of victory and joy amongst the people of Bayelsa West and they now only pray to God and for good health to see them through to the October 31 byelection when they cast their ballot to elect Hon Henry Seriake Dickson as their next Senator.
Olufemi Lawson is a Public Affairs Analyst and Executive Director, Centre for Public Accountability.
He sent this piece in from Yenagoa.
