Bayelsa governor: “You’ll be removed if you support violence,” Diri cautions kings

Senator Douye Diri, the governor of Bayelsa State and a candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has issued a warning that any traditional leader who permits electoral violence in his domain on November 11 will be removed from office.

When he accompanied the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship campaign team to the palace of the Okpo XXI of the Okpoama Kingdom, King Ebitimi Banigo, at Okpoama in the state’s Brass Local Government Area over the weekend, he delivered the warning.

“Let me warn that any traditional ruler who conspires to disturb the peace during the election risks having my administration remove them from power,” he stated. In our capacity as a government that defends democratic ideals, we will not support electoral violence.

Political parties and their supporters ought to be able to canvass without being harassed.

The state’s helmsman asked them to maintain the current calm in the state before, during, and after the election while thanking the Okpoama monarch, the council of chiefs, and other stakeholders for their royal blessings and warm welcome.

In a related occurrence, the governor met hundreds of APC members in the state who had defected from the Seibarugu Political Dynasty.

Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, a former acting governor and assembly speaker, is the group’s leader. It has members from all around the state.

The Seibarugu Dynasty’s coordinator, Mr. Ebiye Waripamo, made an official statement during a meeting with Governor Douye Diri in Government House, Yenagoa, stating that they were drawn to the PDP by the governor’s peaceful and development-focused leadership style.

Waripamo claimed that after evaluating Governor Diri’s performance over the course of nearly four years, notably the current condition of peace and security and the ongoing development projects around the state, they had no alternative but to work with him to advance Bayelsa.

He gave the governor and PDP supporters an assurance of their unwavering support for the governor’s reelection on November 11, 2023.

Mr. Solomon Agwana, the state PDP chairman, welcomed the group and assured its members that they will not face discrimination in his remarks.

In response, Diri thanked the head of the Seibarugu Dynasty and praised Chief Seibarugu for his conviction and moral character.

He claimed that the APC in the state was a dishonest organisation that had no interest in the advancement of the region and that its nominee, a former governor, had no tangible results to show for his tenure in government.