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By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
No doubt the die for the Bayelsa State governorship election on November 16 is cast between the PDP flag bearer, Senator Douye Diri, and APC flag bearer, Chief David Lyon.
Senator Douye Diri, who represents Bayelsa Central in the Senate, defeated twenty other aspirants at the primaries with 561 votes.
The results were greeted with mixed reaction. While some of the contestants congratulated Diri on his victory, some felt they were robbed, and have gone to court to seek legal interpretation.
SDD, as he has come to be known, with the campaign slogan of ‘Prosperity 2020,’ has begun his interaction with the media in Yenagoa with the story of his life, foray into politics and his plans for the state “when he emerges winner on November 16, 2019.”
According to SDD, he was aware of the importance of the media as the fourth estate of the realm and has commenced a robust engagement with the press.
He described himself as a ‘home boy’ who began his educational career from the primary school at Isanpou, and later attended Government Secondary School, Odi, both in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.
His pursuit for higher education took him to College of Education, Port Harcourt, where he obtained National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Political Science and Economics, and later to the University of Port Harcourt, from where he graduated with honors in Political Science and Education, with which he taught for seven years before veering into politics and business.
He said from that humble beginning, much was expected from him. Hence he ventured into activism first as the national organising secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), which afforded him the opportunity to transverse all the nooks and crannies of Izon land in the agitation for resource control, creation of three states for Ijaws, until Bayelsa State was created, after which, he joined other patriots and committed Bayelsans to start the development of the new state.
He recalled with nostalgia, the series of meetings held at the home of late Chief Frank Opigo at Niger Grammar School which was led by chief Amba Ambaowei and others.
He said his first baptism of fire was his contest for the pioneer chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local government area, which he lost, but was later appointed by the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, first civilian governor of Bayelsa State, as the deputy secretary for the Centre for Youth Development. After the dissolution of the board, he was appointed the executive secretary, where they educated and mentored the youths for governance.
He said for personal reasons, he resigned and joined the opposition, and Chief Timi Alaibe, in a political sojourn that spanned a decade. With others, they started to market him as a potential governor for Bayelsa State.
They were in the trenches and it did not favour him, hence he took his destiny into his hands and left the new vision that was propagated by Timi Alaibe and decided to pitch tent with Seriake Dickson prior to his aspiration to be governor.
When Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha was impeached and Dr Goodluck Jonathan became governor, he was appointed the commissioner for sports and youth development. During Diri’s tenure as commissioner, there was a turn-around in the sporting fortunes of Bayelsa State, analysts say, with Bayelsa Utd, Bayelsa Queens and Ocean Boys all winning trophies. At the national sports festival, Bayelsa state emerged fourth position.
He received commendation from former president Olusegun Obasanjo and when in 2012 Governor Seriake Dickson won the governorship election, he was called upon to become, first the deputy chief of staff and later principal executive secretary to the governor and worked with the chief of staff.
SDD also disclosed in his political voyage that in 2014 he nursed the ambition to represent Bayelsa Central at the senate, but was prevailed to step down for the incumbent, senator Paulker Emmanuel, and was asked to contest for the House of Representatives, to represent Kolokuma/Opokuma/Yenagoa federal constituency, where he spent four years and excelled as a first-timer who moved 24 motions and bills, which earned him a trophy from the House of Representatives Media Corps.
In 2019 he sought to go to the senate with a wider legislative scope and won the election and barely spent a year when he was invited to contest for the governorship.
According to SDD, he did not initially yield to the calls, because he lacks the wherewithal and contacts to run for governorship. But being assured by stakeholders, he decided to throw in the trowel, and by the grace of God, he emerged the winner having defeated 20 others. In the spirit of good sportsmanship, he has declared that there was no winner, none vanquish, seeking other contestants to unite in order for PDP to defeat APC at the polls.
“This is my story,” Senator Diri said.
However, at the end of SDD’s history, he was engaged in questions and answers sessions from journalists, during which he reiterated his resolve to address the 13 percent derivation, land use act, restructuring the present fiscal federalism, injustices, fairness and equity and collaboration with the Federal Government for independent electricity since the state is blessed with natural gas, as well as the upgrade of the status of Yenagoa, the state capital.
