Bayelsa State governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson has said that only God and the popular votes of the people of the state will determine the choice of his successor as governor.
According to him, power only comes from the Almighty God.
Dickson declared that though he will engage in special prayers and seek divine intervention on who succeed him after he complete his tenure, the choice of his successor will happen with the electoral stamp of the people and it will be a defining moment in the history of the state.
The governor spoke in Yenagoa, weekend, after the end-of-year activity annual lecture series organised by the members of the Federated Correspondent Chapel with the theme: The quest for a People’s Governor: A case for Bayelsa State.
Dickson speaking at a lecture held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists centre, through the Director in the state Ministry of Information and Orientation, Uzaka U. S. A, who represented the state Commissioner, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said that despite the clandestine plans by some desperate politicians to capture governorship through violence and disruption of state architecture, power belongs to God.
He said: “Only God almighty will determine my successor. I believe that indeed power comes from God. I will most likely seek divine intervention on who succeed me. The divine choice of the person will thereafter have the stamp of the people on whose votes the person will emerge. So, it is going to be a defining moment for the state in 2019.
“The last governorship election in 2016 is still fresh in the memories of Bayelsans. It was more than an election, it was a war. The 2019 governorship may not be any different. The stakes are high as some persons are desperate to capture the state regardless of how unpopular they are among the people.
“In their desperate bid to launch a deadly come back, they have begun to gradually disrupt security architecture in the state. This they have done by using their privileged positions against the people.
“In 2019, they are expected to be more daring but as always Bayelsans know them and in line with true Ijaw spirit, the people are ready to repel every attempt to circumvent their will.”
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Barigha Amange, a former Senator for Bayelsa East senatorial district, said that only free, fair and transparent electoral processes, within the party and during general election would ensure the people’s governor which is acceptable to the majority in Bayelsa will emerge.
He said achieving the people’s governor in the forthcoming election will ensure that the much desired development from the grassroots will spread across the state.
“The people, therefore, must be involved in the selection and election processes. This involvement of the people must start from the party primaries to the general election.
“So, for us to have a people’s governor, the processes for the primary and general elections must be free, fair, credible end transparent. It must not be a governor that emerges through imposition or vote-buying,” he said.
