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By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the amended Electoral Act into law.
Diri gave the commendation on Thursday during the state executive council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.
A press release by his chief press secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that the signing of the bill was a demonstration that the President wants democracy to thrive in Nigeria.
He said that the days of ballot box snatching, rigging, political thuggery and violence were gone as the electoral law has made provisions on how modern elections should be conducted.
He advised politicians eyeing elective offices not to heat up the polity but rather quietly embark on consultation with their political leaders.
While acknowledging the right of appointees in his administration to aspire for elective positions, he restated his call on them to resign their positions or be sacked in order not to neglect their responsibilities and make governance suffer.
The governor stressed that the peace being experienced in the state should be sustained by all, adding that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would work together to ensure that those who are destined by God would emerge as its flag bearers through primaries.
He thanked his cabinet members for their commitment to ensuring that government policies and programmes were realised, adding that their actions proved that their appointment was not a mistake.
The Bayelsa helmsman also thanked Bayelsans for their support for his administration as demonstrated during the recent second anniversary celebration.
He said: “I like to use today’s Executive Council meeting to acknowledge Mr President and thank him for signing the Electoral Act bill into law.
“That has been the bane of our democracy. Elections are the basis of having good governance, of selecting good leaders, and Mr President has demonstrated that he wants democracy to thrive in Nigeria by signing the bill.
“So, on behalf of the deputy governor and indeed Bayelsa State, we appreciate Mr President for assenting to that bill.
“If there is one gift that Mr President has given to Nigeria in his whole eight years, this is it.
“We are in a political year and the music has started. The drums are all on. Let me again advise all of us, both members of the state executive council and other appointees that if you have political ambition, please put in your resignation.
“By the Act, ministers, commissioners or appointees that want to contest have to resign six months to the primaries. That is because you will be distracted if that is what you want to do and the office will suffer.
“If you want to occupy any of these offices, fair and good, ambition is everybody’s right but do not let our work to suffer, and we will not be pushed to sack any member of cabinet who has worked very well for this government.
“Our state is changing for good and everybody is acknowledging that fact that if you go into Bayelsa, the air you breathe is that of freedom and nobody comes after you. The state is so secured and peaceful. That is a credit to us as Bayelsans. So, let us continue to keep the environment peaceful and friendly.
“We were elected to serve. All of us in this government, our job is to serve, to identify the gaps of development, human and infrastructural, fill those gaps and put our state on the lane of fast development. That is what your government is doing and will continue to do,” he said.
