David Lyon names Degi-Eremienyo as running mate, thanks Bayelsa for massive support

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 16, 2019 Bayelsa State governorship election, Chief David Lyon, has named Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo as his running mate.Degi-Eremienyo is currently representing Bayelsa East in the Senate. He is Vice Chairman of both the Special Duties Committee and the Gas Resources Committee in the Red Chamber.

He, however, appreciated the party members for their overwhelming support for his candidature during the primary election in Yenagoa. He said: “Please, accept this as my heartfelt thanks for your massive support for my candidature. I acknowledge the contributions of all APC members to the success of the exercise.

“The overwhelming votes of the people were testament to their immense confidence in my person, my experience and my abilities. I promise to put all these and much more to the service of Bayelsa State if elected governor on November 16, 2019. “I make a solemn pledge this day never to disappoint my party, APC, and the people of Bayelsa State. I will not abuse this huge confidence reposed in me by the people.”

In a related vein, a group, the Bayelsa East Forum for Justice, has warned against plot by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to choose the senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, as running mate to Douye Diri in the forthcoming Bayelsa gubernatorial poll.

The group, at a press conference addressed by Monday Eribo, urged the national and state leadership of the party to address the very pressing issue that is about to engulf the party.

The group’s position, however, contradicted an early statement by the state Commissioner for Education, Jonathan Obuebite, who said the Bayelsa East Senatorial Zone had thrown its weight behind the choice of the restoration group.Obuebite, while justifying the choice of Sagbama, Bayelsa West, to produce the deputy governor, said the zone was more comfortable with the position of the Speaker because the Assembly is an independent arm of government and that will give them more sense of belonging.

He called on the leadership of the PDP to zone the position of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly to Bayelsa East in the next dispensation. But Eribo said: “Having picked our candidate from the Bayelsa Central, it is now natural to select a competent party man that has the requisite political clout and popularity from the East. Sadly, we are getting feelers that the slot for running mate is about to be zoned to the West.“We see this as an attempt to deprive people of the East what is due to them politically. We also see the move as greedy and capable of handling over the state on a platter of gold to the APC.”