Bayelsa governorship poll: Dickson urges INEC to shift election from November 2

By Patrick Okohue

The Bayelsa State governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson has said that he will not interfere in the choice of who becomes the next governor of his state, assuring that “The next leader of our state is not going to be selected from my pocket.”

He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to shift the governorship polls scheduled for November 2 in the state.

Dickson who spoke at a church programme on Sunday, said the election would hinder the November 2 Thanksgiving Day in the state which had been declared as public holiday by the laws of the state.

Dickson charged the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to show respect to God by shifting the election.

Dickson spoke on Sunday during the monthly praise night and the eighth edition of the Easter Cantata programme in Yenagoa.

The governor, who will complete his eight years tenure this year, added that his successor would emerge through prayers and consultations.

He said, “As usual, let me call on all of us to seize this period of Easter, which is a period for sober reflection, to continue to invite the presence of God in our state.

“We must not relent in our prayers because the enemies of our land are planning hard to destroy the peace and stability we have laboured to build.

“But, we have nothing to fear. They put their trust in chariots, weapons and connections in Abuja, but we trust in the Almighty God who has always saved us.

“Since we handed over our government to God, we have been reinforcing it through prayers and positive declarations that this state, which I call the Jerusalem of the Ijaw nation, shall not be handed over again to anybody who does not fear the authority of the Almighty God above.

“I will formally invite everybody in this state to pray because I feel the next leader of our state is not going to be selected from my pocket.

No, I won’t do that; it is too important a decision to come from one person,” he added.