The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the November 11, 2023, Bayelsa State Governorship Election, Engr. Udengs Eradiri has congratulated Governor Douye following the affirmation of his election by the Supreme Court last Friday.
Eradiri, in a statement sent to journalists on Monday, called on Diri to be magnanimous in victory. He said the elections are over and it is time to work for the peace and rapid development of the state.
The former president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) also urged Diri to resist the temptation of sidelining his perceived opponents in the distribution of the dividends of democracy in the state.
Eradiri said that with Diri's affirmation by the apex court on the outcome of the Bayelsa governorship election, all litigation had come to an end and so everyone has to come together and contribute to the state's progress.
He also called on all stakeholders to work with Diri to move the state forward, adding that he would continue to engage the governor and his administration only with constructive criticism.
The former youth leader who contested Diri’s victory up to the Appeal Court and decided against taking his case to the Supreme Court equally urged the governor not to witch-hunt political opponents.
He charged Diri to confront the issues of state development with all seriousness and formulate policies and programmes that would tackle the problems of the state.
“All involved in the last election have fought a good fight. All the litigations have now been resolved with the final judgement of the Supreme Court affirming the election of Governor Douye Diri. My team and I congratulate the governor of our state on his victory.
“It is now time for all stakeholders in the state to come together and work with the governor to move the state forward. There should be no room for politics of bitterness, and we also urge the governor to be magnanimous in victory.
“We call on Governor Douye Diri to unite the state and avoid the temptation of sidelining perceived enemies in the governance of the state. The governor must approach the issues of governance with the seriousness they require.
“Bayelsa remains grossly underdeveloped despite our vast resources, and we urge the governor to judiciously utilise the enormous Commonwealth to address Bayelsa’s fundamental developmental challenges.
“For us, we will continue to engage the governor on his policies and programmes, actions and inactions, and constructively criticise issues related to the development, growth, and progress of Bayelsa State. This is the only state we have, and all of us must contribute our quota to develop it", Eradiri said.
