Congresses Integrating Bayelsa APC Old, New Members – Gov Diri –As Engr Ashanti, Zekina Hails Diri’s Leadership Style. By Chris Mark
Congresses Integrating Bayelsa APC Old, New Members – Gov Diri
–As Engr Ashanti, Zekina Hails Diri’s Leadership Style.
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has again expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying old and new members of the party in the state were being integrated through the process.
Governor Diri said with ward and local government congresses successfully conducted, old and new members of the APC were now one family in the state.
He spoke on Saturday during the local government congress of the party at Kaiama, headquarters of his Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.
He said: “As I have stated, there are no old and new members of APC anymore in the state. So there should be no segregation of any sort.
“If you look at the newly elected party executives, some of them have been in the APC for a long time while some have just come in. We have made it possible for all to integrate and work together for the good of our party.
“We have to win elections from the ward level. So by next year when we go into local government chairmen and councillors elections, I am very sure that APC will clear all the seats.”
The Bayelsa governor also stated that APC had become the dominant party in KOLGA and that it has been positioned to win all forthcoming elections in the area as well as in the state.
“God has made it possible that for the first time, we have virtually 90 per cent of all the political leaders in Kolokuma/Opokuma in APC.
“I am very convinced that in any future electoral contest in the state, APC will have a clean sweep. And we will ensure that it is one man, one vote. We will see how those in opposition in this local government will get even two per cent of the votes.”
He charged the newly elected party executive in the local government and the state congress delegates to make President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 their number one priority as well as deliver 95 per cent of the votes to APC.
“Next year, we will have the presidential election. This is our number one priority and in Kolokuma/Opokuma, we can have 95 per cent of the votes in that election. That is my charge to you and in every other election.”
The congress was conducted by the Kolokuma/Opokuma APC election committee chairman, Mr. Marlin Daniel, with Mr. Panebi Dipagha emerging as chairman through consensus alongside 26 other executive members.
The election was observed by the APC state congresses committee chairman, Chief Frank Omare, the screening committee chairman, Hon. Oghene Egho, and witnessed by an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
In his acceptance speech on behalf of other Exco members, Mr. Panebi Dipagha thanked the party’s leadership in Kolokuma/Opokuma for finding them worthy to serve and assured that they will not do anything outside the laws of the party.
He expressed appreciation to Governor Diri for his exemplary leadership in the party and the state and promised to follow his style of consultation before taking decisions.
Also speaking at Peace Park, Yenagoa, where the Yenagoa Local Government Congress was held, the Electoral Committee Chair, Engr Ashanti Bekewei, commended delegates for comporting and conducting themselves peacefully .
Bekewei, however attributed the peaceful conduct to the peaceful disposition of the governor who adopted the consensus mode for the election which she said has led to a rancour free exercise .
Her words “You all saw what happens delegates comported and conducted themselves and by so doing a winner emerged and this is by virtue of the administrative leadership qualities of his excellency the governor of Bayelsa State who’s a peacefully dispose person, for that reason you can see it translating to the election.”
She called on the new executive members to emulate the virtue of the governor and as well ensue they serve to the best of their ability so as to build the confidence of the people they are to lead.
The new APC chairman for Yenagoa Local Government while speaking, Hon Zikenah Tunks, thanked delegates and leaders of the party for giving him the mandate to serve and he promised not to betray the confidence bestowed on him.
