The Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-South Zone has described the first tenure of the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, as very impressive.
The South-South PDP Committee stated this during a courtesy visit to Governor Diri at the Government House in Yenogoa on Monday, to express its solidarity with him ahead of the November 11 governorship election in the state.
Premium Politics reported on Monday, that Governor Diri through some photos posted on his X handle, appreciated the Zonal PDP Committee, and the party’s Minority Leader at the National Assembly, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, for their courtesy visit to him, in Bayelsa State.
The Bayelsa governor and his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, are seeking a second term in office on the platform of the PDP.
However, the party scored Diri high and described his first term in office as impressive in a statement issued by Diri’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah.
According to the statement, the PDP National Vice-Chairman (South-South), Chief Dan Orbih, who led the zonal working committee on the solidarity visit to the Government House in Yenagoa, said the party was impressed that the governor had been inaugurating projects while campaigning for re-election.
Orbih stated that the governor has been busy inaugurating and flagging off projects in Bayelsa, while some first-term governors campaign for a second term with promises of what they would do.
Alabrah noted that the national and zonal leadership of the PDP were not only proud of Diri’s achievements but were also comfortable with him as the party’s flagbearer in the coming election, in Bayelsa State.
“We, members of the PDP South-South Working Committee, came to show our solidarity with the performing governor of Bayelsa state.
“We have watched with great admiration your campaigns. Some governors campaign for their second tenure telling the people what they want to do, but your campaign is laced with commissioning of projects and flagging off new ones. It is very uncommon and we want to congratulate you.
“For us in the South-South, we are very proud of you and your achievements. You are indeed a miracle governor. God has again shown His hand that with His support, you can even go into the election without an opponent,” he reads partially.
The zonal leader of the party however emphasized that with Diri’s performance in office and because the south-south is the stronghold of the PDP, victory was assured for the governor.
Reacting to the development, Diri said the PDP was sure of victory as there was no basis for comparison between his first term and the five-year tenure of one of his major challengers, Chief Timipre Sylva, who is contesting under the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
According to the governor, the difference was evident for all Bayelsans to see, noting that his developmental paths were visible in the community of the APC candidate where his opponent had nothing to campaign with even in his hometown.
Diri claimed that even if the APC candidate had no constitutional issue to contend with, he was sure the election would still be won by the PDP.
“The commitment of our people and what they stand for as far as this election is concerned is very clear. So we are home and dry even if they go into the election with the law against them.
“We went to his hometown and inaugurated a road. So I do not know when he gets to his village, what he will inaugurate there. The paradox is such that there is no way to compare his five years to our just about four years even when we lost one year to COVID-19 during the lockdown in 2020,” Diri said.
He, however, thanked the zonal working committee for the visit, urging them to close ranks to have a formidable house going into the election.
According to him, the PDP remained the only party available, in terms of structure and governance that could give a viable opposition to the government at the centre and must therefore continue to be the bulwark of the opposition in the country.
