A former governorship candidate in Bayelsa state, Moses Siasia, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the November 16 governorship election to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) because its candidate, Senator Douye Diri was unpopular.
The former Permanent Secretary, who described Senator Diri as Governor Seriake Dickson’s candidate, said the defeat of the senator was a true reflection of the wishes of Bayelsan people.
“There was no proper consultation in choosing a candidate for the party. It was just a one-man show. One man did it alone because he is the governor of the state.
I can recall what happened during the primaries where the governor appointed local government chairmen and vice-chairmen a month before the primaries. Making them statutory delegates contravened the constitution of the PDP”.
Siasia also said Dickson failed to adhere to the party guidelines which he said clearly stated that statutory names of delegates must be sent to the National Executive Committee (NEC) and ratified 90 days before the primaries.
“An LGA election was quickly conducted to increase the number of people who will vote in the primaries.”
“No man can take the place of God. Party leaders, elders, party faithful were disrespected. If a popular candidate had emerged, we would not be talking about APC winning Bayelsa but the selfishness of just one man led us to where we are today.”
Further, he said the defeat of the PDP in Bayelsa “is an indictment on the leadership of the national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus. In politics consultation matters, you do not just take decisions on your own. Politics is not played in such a manner,
“You must carry the people along and allow their wish to prevail. Bayelsa elders sat down and agreed to encourage some particular candidates, but the governor refused because he had an interior motive.
“In his two terms, he did not groom a successor. That was why an emergency candidate emerged and he expected people to support him because he is a super governor”, he stated in an interview.
