By JOSHUA OMOLOYE
- Says he should stand on Bayelsa West zoning arrangement
- Ijaw nation needs experienced representation – Dickson
A two terms chairman of Ekeremor local government of Bayelsa State, Hon. Donald Daunemigha is challenging the incumbent, Senator Seriake Dickson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket to contest the 2023 National Assembly election.
After picking the nomination form at the PDP national secretariat,y on Thursday, Daunemigha said he is in the race to dislodge Dickson and give the people better representation.
He said despite Dickson’s eight years as governor and two years as senator , the former governor has performed below expectation on the floor of the Senate.
He said “in his two years of representation, there is nothing he has done that I cannot do and even outdo. “During the PIB debate on percentage to be given to host communities, he staged a walk out when he supposed to stay and fight the issue.
“I will give better representation that will touch the lives of the people of Bayelsa West. “The people of Ekeremor knows me and my antecedents in office and they are prompting me to represent in the Senate”.
He accused the former governor of playing divisive politics which has cost PDP a lot allow for APC to fester in the state, The Trumpet gathered.
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According to Daunemigha, Senator Dickson need to respect the zoning arrangement which he professed and which was being implemented in the senatorial district. He said “Dickson has been an advocate of zoning He has been enforcing zoning and zoning has been respected.
When elected to complete the tenure of the former senator who is now deputy governor of the state, he said zoning is sacrosant and it is the turn of my local government to produce senatorial candidate” He vowed not to step down for Dickson saying “we have passed that stage when people will dictate.
What the people of Ekeremor want is what God want”. Meanwhile, the former governor said his supporters are against zoning because Dickson wanted re- election.
He said the people of Bayelsa West need his wealth of experience in politics and that he is ready to just do that in the 10th Senate. He said the people of Ijaw nation and the entire Niger Delta region were in dire need of skilled, experienced and effective representation.
Sen. Dickson said “this is going to be a very trying period, a transition unlike any other before now. And at this very difficult period, when our country is pregnant; pregnant with problems, pregnant with expectations, I agree that that we need steady hands at the Centre to continue to guide and to support and to make the case that we have make for our people.
“For some time a number of you have been discussing with me on the need for continued experience and deployment of our national image and network at this particular time in the service of our people. And you have all given your various reasons as to why we should be in the ballot one more time again.
“And today after examining the various reasons and the need for steady experienced hand at the National Assembly and in the Senate in particular for Bayelsa West, for Bayelsa State and for the Ijaw nation, working with other friends and allies in the service of our people in Niger Delta and Nigeria, and after listening to all the argument and the cases that have been made, I am humbled to accept this to continue to provide support this offer to run.
A group of political leaders from Sagbama and Ekeremor local government areas of Bayelsa State bought expression of interest and nomination forms of the part for him.
Leader of delegation, and Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Michael Ogbere, while presenting the forms to Dickson commended the former governor for adequate representation which has been exceptional in the last two years.
He said the Ekeremor people are impressed by the level of qualitative representation, performance and unparalleled passion for issues of concern in the district, Bayelsa, the Ijaw Nation and even the Niger Delta.
However, the group disregarded the argument around zoning arrangement in Bayelsa West stressing that previous senators from Ekeremor re- contested for the third time and a former Deputy Governor from the area, Peremobowei Ebebi, contested and pursued the case on the electoral dispute to the Supreme Court where he lost.
