TheCable

Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state, says it is strategic for leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use ex-President Goodluck Jonathan “to legitimise the illegitimacy that happened on Saturday”.

Following the victory of David Lyon, candidate of the APC in the Bayelsa governorship election, APC leaders visited the former president at his Bayelsa residence.

But speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Dickson described Jonathan’s alliance with the APC as regrettable.

He said the perception that he alienated PDP stakeholders, including the former president, was unfounded, adding that he made attempts to meet with Jonathan 16 different times yet the former number one citizen chose to support a candidate that did not mean well for him.

“Jonathan remains my oga and I respect him, but there are lots of efforts by certain interest to create a rift between us, there is no politician that has been there for the former president than me,” he said.

“He has also helped me but it is unfortunate that I am being misconstrued in this matter of the election. I tried to meet Jonathan 16 times and he opted to support a candidate that does not wish me well.

“I will soon write my memoirs and people will have a fair view of what happened, the visit of some APC governors to Jonathan who congratulated the APC candidate without congratulating the candidate of his party.

On the election, Dickson described “what happened on Saturday” as undemocratic, maintaining that Douye Diri, candidate of the PDP in the election, defeated his APC opponent.

“Our candidate, Sen. Douye Diri and the party chairman have been speaking about the charade called election that took place in Bayelsa on Saturday, and the invasion of our state by security forces,” he said.

“The dehumanisation of our people and how the majority of the areas and in places, where our people were denied the right to vote for the candidate of their choice.

“The story is all out there that what took place in the state on Nov. 16 was not a democratic election.

“So, today, I’m here to add my voice to all that has been said already, and it was so brazen, it has never been like this in this state before.

“I know that in 2015, we went through a very tough time, there was displayed of federal might, but at least, it was not as bad as this.”