[color=#000099][/color] A leader of Peoples Democratic
Party in Bayelsa State, Mr. Douye
Diri, has advised former Governor
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to drop
his senatorial ambition and play
the father figure for the young
ones.
It was learnt that Alamieyeseigha,
who is from Southern Ijaw Local
Government Area of the Bayelsa
Central Senatorial District, had
submitted his expression of
interest form to run for the
Senate in 2015.
Diri, the Principal Secretary to
Governor Seriake Dickson, from
Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, has
also declared for the senatorial
seat having submitted his EIF.
He said in an interview that of
the three LGs that make up
Bayelsa Central, two LGs –
Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw had
had shots at the Senate for 16
years with the exception of
Kolokuma/Opokuma. He said,
“For Chief Diepreye
Alamieyeseigha, politically
speaking, his declaration is
actually very wrong. He is from
Southern Ijaw. The LGA person
has been there for eight years.
“For another Southern Ijaw man
again, particularly for a person
we all have very high regard and
respect for, I expect that
Alamieyeseigha should be a
father figure for all of us. He
should play more of an advisory
role to us and allow us (the
younger ones) to also grow.”
He advised that people should
allow democracy to thrive in
Bayelsa State Central Senatorial
District and allow the district to
nominate whom it thought should
represent the people based on
the agreed zoning arrangement.
He advocated that the zoning of
the senatorial seat to Kolokuma/
Opokuma should be respected in
the interest of peace and unity.
Diri said, “Either in written or by
convention, there is zoning. The
first senator to represent the
district when Bayelsa was
created, Senator Brigidi, served
the district for two terms. He
wanted to go for third tenure, but
the people said no.
“At the end of the day, Senator
Emmanuel Paulker emerged from
Yenagoa LGA and he has also
served two terms and the people
are now saying the position
should move to Kolokuma/
Opokuma LGA. Suffice it to say
that Kolokuma/Opokuma is one
area that has suffered for the
emancipation of Ijaw man dating
back to the days of late Major
Adaka Boro, up to the Kaiama
declaration, down to the burning
down of Odi and several other
Ijaw activities