Rights group wants David Lyon as APC’s consensus guber candidate

Pro-democracy group, Nigeria Youth Organisation for Leadership & Right Activation, has advocated the adoption of Mr. David Lyon as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Bayelsa State governorship election.

Led by Yusuf Yahuza, the group argued that adopting Lyon, who won in the November 2019 election but was removed by the Supreme Court, would brighten the chances of the party.

The group maintained that adopting Lyon would not only serve natural justice to the majority of Bayelsa residents, who voted for him overwhelmingly in 2019, but also boost the fortunes of the party.

“As Bayelsa citizens prepare for the November 2023 governorship election, it is our candid opinion that the party should, as a matter of justice and fairness, consider a candidate that has been the choice of the people of the state. It is also our candid view that the leadership of the party should try to avoid misstates of the past.

“Recall that the Supreme Court had sacked Lyon less than 24 hours before his inauguration as governor of Bayelsa State. The decision of the apex court was in affirmation of the verdict of Federal High Court, disqualifying Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, Lyon’s running mate, for submitting forged credentials to INEC.

“Consequent upon the above, the right thing to be done by the party is to give Lyon the ticket of the party. Also, there has been reports of some aspirants for the election that have run contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act and it is important to caution the party to take steps to prevent the party from running into litigations that may affect its chances of fielding a candidate for the election,” the group said.

The group further urged the party not to forget in a hurry the outcome of similar situations in the state in the last elections, where the party won the governorship election at the polls, but lost in court over pre-election litigations.