Former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has declared that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State lacks the political presence at the ward, local government and state levels to win the November 16, 2019, governorship election.

He made the declaration on Tuesday during the PDP Elders Advisory Council meeting at Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday, noted that the large number of aspirants on the platform of the party speaks volumes of the dominance of the party as the preferred platform for election.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the former President as saying that the PDP has all it takes to record a landslide victory in the forthcoming

election.

Dr. Jonathan commended Governor Seriake Dickson, the state Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Moses Cleopas and all critical stakeholders including the 21 aspirants for working for the continued stability of the party.

He said that it was important for the PDP to get its acts together so that it would not create room for opportunistic platforms to steal the party’s victory.

His words: “I need to plead with all the aspirants and all political leaders that there should be no mudslinging. We must free the space and eschew rancour because finally one person will become the candidate of the party and for that one person to win the election, all aspirants must work for that person.

“It is only our unity that can give us victory and if we are not united, they (APC) can get away with it. For example, it took the unity of the people of Rivers State including women who were resolute against soldiers to get the PDP victory in the state. If that had not happened, the not, they (opposition) would have taken it.

“For us to secure this state for PDP, we need maximum unity and that is why all the 21 aspirants are important to us; we must have that maximum unity and must not create any form of division or discrimination. At the end of the day one person will emerge and all of us will work for whoever emerges as candidate of the party.”

In his remark, Governor Dickson stressed the need for members of the party to forge a united front to maintain its dominance and control of power in the state starting with the local council elections billed for August 10.

He therefore called on all members of the party, particularly the governorship aspirants to work hard for the victory of the chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the PDP in the Saturday’s election.

According to Governor Dickson, the large number of governorship aspirants only shows the democratic nature and style of leadership of the PDP.

He called on the national leadership to complement the effort of the state in providing a level playing ground for all the aspirants.

The Governor explained that if he had taken a decision to stop aspirants from picking the form, the reactions would have affect the peace and stability of the party.

He said: “When people say that 21 aspirants are too many, I disagree. In 2006 we had close to 11 aspirants and for a party that is strong, has strength and attraction and connection, that is the dominant political platform, it is expected.

“It’s not completely out of order as a ruling party, with all that we have done and with the way we have decapitated, decimated the other party because they virtually don’t exist in this state.

“So it is normal for any serious-minded person who wants to serve our people to think of doing so on our dominant platform which we have led and all of us has built and made stronger even in the face of very serious opposition. So my leaders, for me there is nothing to lose sleep over.”

Earlier in their separate remarks, the state Chairman, Mr. Moses Cleopas, and Chairman of the Elders Advisory Council of the state PDP, Air Vice Marshal Larry Koinyan (retd), all emphasised the need for greater unity and cohesion among members and particularly the aspirants to ensure successful conduct of free, fair and credible primaries.

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