Governor Seriake Dickson has attributed his election victory to the people of Bayelsa State.
Speaking to Channels Television’s political correspondent, Seun Okinbaloye, Mr Dickson thanked the people for their support and vowed to implement more socio-economic reforms.
“We are very grateful to the people of Bayelsa for their abiding loyality, trust and confidence in me and in our party and on the government’s programmes that we have been able to execute in the past going to four years now.
“I believe that all powers come from God alone. I want to also use this opportunity to thank God almighty who has made it possible and at all times has enabled me to overcome challenges,” he said
Speaking on the challenges he faced during the election, Governor Dickson said that he was sure of victory from the beginning of the entire process, adding that getting the residents to vote for him was not the challenge.
“The challenge was the interposition of other factors which are also critical, crucial for political victory. I am a party in opposition in my state and we have a lot of issues to contend with in areas where I have no control, that was where the challenge came from. The challenge was never from the people.
“I have always had direct contact with the people and I know the people have always been by me. Do not forget I have contested several elections in this state and I have always won all, so I knew that this was not an election to be bothered about.
“I want to thank God, thank the people of Bayelsa for finding me worthy again and investing their confidence in spite of all those challenges and renewing my mandate.”
Mr Dickson refused to respond to allegation of irregularities raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the party agent’s immediate call for a rerun. “I do not respond to political propaganda. Elections have been declared, elections have been won and lost,” he said, although admitting that the election had lapses.
“I believe that INEC tried to do a good job. There were lapses here and there but generally speaking, INEC tried. I want to call for more support for INEC. From my experience in this exercise, INEC needs the support of all to improve on the card reader.
“The card reader is a right way to go, our nation made the right investment in it and I think we should work with INEC to perfect it so that you do not have any cases of people coming with armed hoodlums to hijack materials and then thinking that they will just fill the forms and return for collation. That is nonsensical, that is terrorism.
“That is what has taken place and you have been in this state, you are aware of the deaths that have taken place, those killed by hoodlums and thugs, those whose houses have been burnt.
“These are important issues I will like to work with the Federal Government to address, particularly the federal law enforcement agencies.
“We had a peaceful community attacked and razed down and no arrest was made. The hoodlum is known, those who sponsored it are known and it is like that all over.
“We cannot let that be and that cannot be the Nigeria we will build together. So I want to work with the Federal Government to ensure that peace, law and order as well as security return once again to Bayelsa.
