Bayelsa 2023: Pressure group calls for level playing ground

By Tom Okpe

Friends of David Lyon, a governorship aspirant in the 11 November, 2023 Bayelsa State election has appealed to Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee, (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) to provide a level playing ground and give the opportunity of ruling the state to their friend.

The appeal came when the group which they claimed, cut across political parties in the state stormed the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja after securing the N50 million nomination and expression of interest forms on his behalf.

The group, led by the pioneer APC State Secretary of APC, Marlin Danier noted that Lyon who was denied the governorship seat at the last minute in 2019, be allowed to be the only candidate that will fly the flag of the party to victory in November.

Danier maintained that Lyon remains the only person that can win the governorship election for APC in the state pointing that the NWC ensure a level playing ground for all candidates, gunning for the governorship position, on the ticket of the party in the state.

“Lyon is a young man that gallantly fought a very colossus governorahip election and won but unfortunately, the arms of the law were twisted against him and was denied the opportunity of being the governor of Bayelsa state.

“Today we are here to get the form for him to go back, and contest the same election. Ordinarily and under normal circumstances, he is supposed to be given the right of first refusal by the party.

“Am taking this message to the national executive and whoever is concerned, that if they want APC to produce the next Governor of Bayelsa State, there is no doubt, picking Lyon as a candidate for the party.

“He is tested, tried and trusted. As I talk to you, every day, the PDP-led administration is inviting pastors and Imams from different quarters to go and pray that he doesn’t become APC candidate.

“He is their nightmare. They are comfortable with every other person, but with him, they know they are off. That has been their prayer.

“I want to plead with the national secretary. We need a level playing ground. So that we will overcome the temptation of going to court. We want to win elections, and Lyon is the only candidate that can win it for us.”

A former member of the House of Representatives, Dr Stella Dorgu, who led the women’s wing of the group, assured that Lyon would reclaim his mandate this time around.

She said: “This will be the second time in 4 years that we made this trip to pick up this form. But most unfortunately, victory was snatched from us just in the nick of time.

Part of the reason was that, being true to his name Lion, dared to dare the Lion in its den.

“We are here to assure Bayelsans that we are ready this time. We’ve got our work cut out for us. We have put plans in place. And everybody knows that David Lyon is the best governor that Bayelsans can muster to do the job.”

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In the same vein, the first minority leader of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Indutimi Komonibo said the candidature of Lyon on the ballot paper for APC on the 11th of November is a nightmare for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the state.

In line with the party constitution, Komonibo asked the party to consider David Lyon as the consensus candidate of the party so that it can reclaim the mandate that was stolen from him in 2019.