Politics
March 19: PDP’s Strategy For Victory In DELGA
As the March 19, 2016
date set by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the re-run legislative elections in Rivers State draws closer, all the stakeholders in the political process seem to have woken up to the realisation that they cannot do the same thing the same way and not get the same result. This is clearly evident in the obvious reviews and reworking of some of the strategies adopted by the various stakeholders in the April 11, 2015 exercise annulled by both the Election Petitions Tribunal and Court of Appeal.
Part of the reworked strategies by INEC is the new guideline for accreditation and casting of ballot to take place simultaneously. The security agencies through the Police Commissioner in the State have also issued fresh assurances of their preparedness to ensure a safe and conducive atmosphere for a smooth exercise. Of course, there are many who believe that the immediate goal of the sustained hunt for suspected criminals and the invasion of their suspected hideouts across the State by the military is more political than security.
The political parties and their candidates on their part have raised the quantum and tempo of their activities and have since started criss-crossing and even double-crossing, their constituencies and opponents to enhance their electoral fortunes.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Degema Constituency seat in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Dr Farah Dagogo, and his train were at Ogurama, the headquarters of Ward 187, Degema Local Government Area, last weekend, where he disclosed to The Tide his strategy for winning the March 19 re-run election.
Dagogo who spoke to The Tide at the sidelines of his political to the community and the reception of defectors from the All Progressives Congress, APC to the PDP said that at the heart of his strategy was his resolve to engage with the electorate directly and persuading them to accept his proposal for a better deal and thereby earn their votes.
“For you to win election, you must win the minds of the people and for you to win the minds of the people, you must engage with them to sell yourself and your proposal through face to face dialogue,” he said, adding that this was important in order to build “a relationship of trust and confidence with the people which will make it easier for them to freely give their mandate to you to go and represent them.”
According to the Tombia born politician, this is the philosophy behind the PDP taking is candidates and supporters to all the wards and communities in the LGA to meet with the people who ultimately reserve the power to decide their political fate and fortune.
Dr. Dagogo who regretted losing the April 2015 election at the Court of Appeal said even though he believed he won the election fair and square, he had put the incident behind him in submission to the rule of law and advised his supporters to continue to conduct themselves peacefully and abide strictly by the electoral guidelines.
“Of course, I keep advising everybody that a free and fair election is what we want and that we must eschew violence and conduct ourselves peacefully as we go out to vote,” he said and charged his opponents to also preach and commit to a violence-free polls.
In the same vein, the aspiring lawmaker enjoined the electoral umpire, INEC, to live up to its promise of a level playing field for all parties and contestants and to ensure that electoral materials are not diverted to undesignated and unlawful places. He called on the security agencies to intensify their efforts in order to inspire confidence in the people to go out and exercise their franchise.
Also speaking with The Tide, a chieftain of the PDP in the LGA, Chief Ombo Benebo expressed confidence that his party would have nothing less than a landslide victory going by the level of work they had done.
“We’re confident we will win the election because we have been everywhere to sell our candidate to the people and everywhere we have gone, the reception has been overwhelming,” the veteran politician explained, adding that the work had been made easier by the disposition of the candidate and his performance during his few months in office at the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He said that apart from effectively representing his constituence, the State House of Assembly candidate of the PDP in Degema had relieved parents in the LGA of financial burdens by paying the fees for all students enrolled for the forthcoming Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE) while he has concluded plans to do the same for those preparing for the Junior WAEC.
Chief Benebo decried electoral violence in all its ramifications, insisting that it was no longer fashionable for politicians to resort to unlawful means to secure electoral victory.
“This is not the time to use violence to win elections. That era is gone. Now everyone is required to go and sell their candidates to the people o accept them for what they can do for them,” he reiterated, pointing out that “we are going to the field for the people to freely make their choice.”
The party stalwart appealed to INEC and the security agencies to live up to their constitutional responsibility and resist acceptance to compromise them one way or another.
“We’re sincerely pleading with INEC to come with clear hands. They should be prepared to declare results that come from the polling units only and not any written results from anywhere else,” he said, adding that “we will stand to resist the acceptane of any written resuls by
Opaka Dokubo
Chairman-elect of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Hon. Target Segibo has alleged that the prevalent security challenges in some communities of the local government area could be traceable to parental failure on one hand, and frivolous lifestyle of children and wards involved in crime and criminality in the area on the other hand.
Segibo, who was a pioneer member of the State House of Assembly between 1999-2003, stated this in Yenagoa, the state capital recently while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after receiving his Certificate of Return from the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC).
He indicated his continued desire to work for the peace and rapid socio-economic development of the local government, noting that having been actively involved in the politics of the area for decades now, he was more grounded in working on modalities towards ensuring enduring peace and unity in troubled communities of the area.
The Chairman-elect who also lauded the state governor, Senator Douye Diri, the state’s leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the electorate for finding him worthy to be elected Chairman of the local government, called on parents/guardiance not to renege on their primary responsibilities of watching over their children and wards, arguing that as the largest local government area in the state, Southern Ijaw should also be noted for peace and development.
“For over 20 years, I’ve been living peacefully with all my neighbours, both at home in Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw LGA and here, in Yenagoa.
“I’ve grown up children, but I don’t give them more than what they needed as students to go to school and stay okay as a father because I discovered that most of the security challenges we’re facing today in the Southern Ijaw LGA, and other parts of the state, is traceable to parental failure and children’s wanting to lead a frivolous lifestyle”, he said.
“As parents/guardians we should be able to know the kind of friends our children/wards keep. We must not pamper them. We must tell them that they have to do something legal to earn a living. We must question any source of sudden wealth and affluence on the part of our children and wards.
“But I want to assure our people of Southern Ijaw that as their incoming Chairman, when I’m sworn-in, having been actively participating in the politics and other activities of the area, collectively we’ll work to ensure enduring peace, unity and development of the LGA”, he added.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has screened and confirmed the first batch of Commissioner-nominees for Governor Diri’s second term State Executive Council.
The Tide gathered that the State Chief Executive in a bid to form his cabinet for his second tenure had earlier submitted a list of 14 names to the state legislature for confirmation as commissioners.
However, The Tide reports that only 13 out of the 14 nominees attended the constitutional exercise of the lawmakers.
Though no official reasons have been given, the immediate past Commissioner for Sports, who is also a former member of the state Assembly, Hon. Daniel Igali, was conspicuously absent during the screening exercise.
Inline with the House’s rules and Standing Orders, two other former members of the state Assembly who were also part of the nominees, Dr Gentle Emelah, immediate past Commissioner for Education, and Mrs Ebiwou Koku-Obiyai, were simply asked to take a bow and leave.
Following the exhaustive grilling, however, the immediate past Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Biriyai Dambo, SAN, his Finance counterpart, Mr Maxwell Ebibai, were confirmed.
Also confirmed were the immediate past Works and Infrastructure Commissioner, Moses Teibowei, Mrs Koku Obiyai, Dr Gentle Emelah, Ayibakipreye Brodericks, George Ekpotuatein Flint and Komuko Akari Kharim.
Furthermore, Mr Perepuighe Biewari, Dr Jones Ebieri, Barr. Peter Afagha, Mrs Bidei Elizabeth and Michael Magbisa received the nod to be appointed commissioners by the state lawmakers.
In his advice to the nominees shortly after their screening, Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Michael Ogbere, enjoined the Commissioner hopefuls to work as a team with those they will meet on ground, admonishing that they remain loyal to the government at all times.
On his part, Leader of the House, Hon. Monday-Bubou Obolo, said the people of the state expect a lot trom them and that the House will do its best to keep them on their toes through its oversight functions while giving them the needed legislative support where necessary.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
A former lawmaker representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Farah Dagogo, has described the outcome of the 98th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as another demonstration of the resilience of the party to weather any storm that comes its way.
This is contained in a statement released bythe Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the estwhile federal legislator, Ibrahim Lawal, at the weekend.
In the build up to the NEC meeting, suggestions and permutations had been rife of the likelihood of the PDP running into another round of crises as the party tries to navigate a path for the North Central Zone to produce a substantive National Chairman to complete the truncated tenure of former Chairman, Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu.
Speaking on the sidelines of the NEC meeting that saw Umar Damagum retain his position as the party’s Acting National Chairman until the next NEC meeting scheduled for August, Dr Dagogo said those who genuinely have the best interest of the party at heart made timely sacrifices to keep the party firm and afloat.
The former member of the National Assembly said but for the political maturity and sagacity employed by the party’s National Leader and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, alongside other leaders, before and during the NEC meeting, the party would have ‘played into the hands of some individuals, who wanted the party to implode in order to improve their political fortunes’.
He expressed optimism that by the adjourned date of August, Damagum would have seen that “it is in the best interest of the party for him to vacate the position for a more purposeful and result oriented leadership’’.
“ For me, the outcome of the NEC meeting was a win-win situation. Against all odds, the party came out unscathed and will continue to wax stronger.
“Yes, the Acting Chairman retained his position, but it is obvious to him now and others that it would be in the best interest of the party for him to vacate that position for a more purposeful and result oriented leadership by August.
“The so called tension generated in the build up to the NEC Meeting was actually orchestrated by the inordinate desire of some few individuals who wanted to thwart the sterling call by party faithful for a review of its failing leadership and directionless.
“ The Party however did not play into the hands of those individuals, who wanted the party to implode in order to improve their political fortunes. Thanks in good measure to the political maturity and sagacity employed by the Party’s National Leader and Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, alongside other leaders, before and during the NEC Meeting. We are where we are now because of their sacrifices and dedication to the party, “ he added.
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