Elections: Lokpobiri beckons Bayelsans to troop out, vote for Buhari, others


The Minister of State for Agriculture and rural development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has appealed to the people of Bayelsa State to turn out in their large numbers to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari and members of the National Assembly of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the Saturday election in the state.

Lokpobiri, who commended the people of the state for turning out in their large number to attend the Presidential rally of APC in the state, urged the people to conduct themselves in orderly manner and avoid any form of violent act during the polls.

In a statement, signed and issued out to newsmen in Yenagoa, by his media aide, Mr. George Oji, the Minister assured the people of adequate protection as the security agencies have been put on red alert to guarantee peace and deal with any elements fomenting violence and misconducts during the election.

The minister reminded the people of the need to vote for President Buhari of APC in order to return the state to the main stream of national politics, noting that this is the only way to attract and guarantee more federal projects and presence to the state.

He also maintained that the government of Seriake Dickson has failed to explain what he did with the huge resources that accrued to the state in the past seven years, as Bayelsa remains one of the least developed states in the country despite the N1.3 trillion that accrued to the state from the Federal Government, excluding local government allocations and loans.

Lokpobiri insisted that the money spent so far on the airport project by Dickson is over N120 billion despite the governor lying that it is only N60 billion. 

While describing the project as white elephant and fraudulent, the minister maintained that the project is a source of corruption by the governor to syphon the resources of the state for personal use.

The Minister recalled needless death of 10 persons and injuries sustained by scores of others at the Niger Delta university by some security operatives deployed by Dickson to unleash terror on the university community. 

Lokpobiri stated that by self acknowledgement by Dickson that the incident was, “unfortunate, sad and avoidable,” and pledging to, “pay the hospital bills of the injured and foot the burial expenses of the dead,” this is a clear admission of guilt by the governor of complicity in the unfortunate incident.

The minister then urged the people to evaluate the impact of the Dickson’s administration in their various local communities, this he said, should form the basis of voting and making a choice for the APC.

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