Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has revealed that he was once offered the opportunity to perform a voodoo ritual to secure his position as governor, but he chose to decline the offer due to his unwavering faith in God.
Governor Diri shared the revelation during the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area Annual Day of Thanksgiving, held in Sampou, his home community.
He recounted an incident in 2020 when a senior citizen invited him to Abuja and suggested he perform certain sacrifices to enhance his chances of becoming governor.
Diri, however, rejected the suggestion, stating that his faith in God would not allow him to take such a path.
At the time, Diri was contesting the results of the November 2019 governorship election, which had declared the All Progressives Congress candidate as the winner. The case was still pending before the Supreme Court. Diri recalled that the senior citizen, frustrated by his refusal, became angry and claimed that Diri would never become governor.
The man also demanded a refund of the $10,000 he had spent to bring people for the supposed ritual, which Diri honoured.
When the Supreme Court eventually ruled in Diri’s favour, invalidating the 2019 Bayelsa State governorship election results and declaring him the winner, the man was reportedly shocked and could not reach out to Diri. Sadly, the senior citizen passed away shortly after.
Diri emphasized that the story was witnessed by his deputy and a friend who accompanied him during the visit to the senior citizen in Abuja. Reflecting on the experience, the governor urged the people of Kolokuma/Opokuma and Bayelsa State to always thank God and have faith, recognizing that God plays a central role in the affairs of men.
He also stressed the importance of civility in politics, encouraging political actors to refrain from harm in the name of politics and to acknowledge that only God determines the destiny of individuals.
Governor Diri ascended to the position after the Supreme Court’s judgment in February 2020, which annulled the 2019 gubernatorial election results in Bayelsa State and ordered him to be issued a certificate of return. He was reelected for a second term in 2023.
He said, “I thank God and also thank Apostle David Zilly Aggrey because he started this event. And because his prayers were heard, God made it possible to bring me in and today, it is by law that all Kolokuma/Opokuma people can gather to praise God.
“Let me reveal to you why it is important to thank God and have faith in Him. Some time ago, a senior citizen of this country invited me to Abuja and asked me to perform certain sacrifices but I declined. I told him my faith in God would not allow me to do it. He got angry and told me I would never become governor.
“He told me that he had spent $10,000 to bring the people for the sacrifice and asked for a refund, which I obliged. When the Supreme Court’s pronouncement came, the man was shocked and could not call me. Sadly, he passed on after some time.
“The story I have narrated was witnessed by my deputy and a friend in Abuja as both of them accompanied me to visit the senior citizen.
“Kolokuma/Opokuma people have every reason to thank God. As a state, we do not want anybody to be harmed in the name of politics because we do not know who God has destined for greatness. So I call on all of us in the political game to be very civil and recognise that there is God who rules in the affairs of man.”
