My successor will emerge through prayer, consultation, consensus-building, says Dickson

Patrick Okohue

The Bayelsa State governor, Hon Seriake Dickson has laid bare the process and pattern that will see to the emergence of his successor in the November 2019 election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 16th for the governorship poll in the state.

Dickson, in a media chat in Government House, Yenagoa on Wednesday, said his successor will emerge through consultations, consensus-building and prayers.

He however declared it was not yet time to begin the process because the state was still in a prayer mood to seek the face of God.

He promised to consult former President Goodluck Jonathan as well as other major stakeholders before arriving at the choice of his successor.

He said there was a need to sustain the political culture established by his administration in the past seven years noting that there was no report of his team attacking anybody because of political differences.

Dickson said he directed the religious team and the body of clergy in the state to organise special prayers for the emergence of his successor.

According to him the issue of the selection of a governor for Bayelsa State was so crucial that it was important for the state to commit the process into the hand of God.

He said: “I wish to also mention on this important issue the next person to govern the state, I have directed our religious team to come up with a date when we will formally gather to fast and pray in seeking the face of God concerning the person who will take over from me as governor of the state.

“The team has chosen June and so we will all find time as a party to have that event.”

He explained that a PDP candidate must have the requisite qualities of courage, commitment, vision and grits to protect the interests of the state and the Ijaw nation.

The governor lamented that most aspirants contesting the PDP Peoples Democratic Party) ticket had shown lack of courage following their inability to speak out against injustices done to the people of the state.

Observing that the aspirants were playing establishment politics with some of them scheming their ways to power, he insisted that a candidate of the PDP should have the consciousness and capacity to play opposition politics in the country.

He stressed that the stakes in the next governorship poll were too high to be left in the hands of “lily-livered politicians who only play establishment politics and shy away from the realities on ground.”

On the forthcoming local government election, the governor emphasised women and youths would be given priority for councillorship positions across the state in recognition of their sustained support to his administration.

“I desire to see more youths and women being carried along in the forthcoming local government election because of the incredible support they have always given to my administration.

“A minimum of 20% should be given to the women in appreciation of their support and as a source of empowerment to their families,” he said.