A frontline aspirant in the just concluded People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election in Bayelsa State, Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe, has declared that there is no going back on the court case he filed to challenge what he called the “inexcusable faulty processes that preceded the People’s Democratic Party governorship primary election in Bayelsa State.
Alaibe had been under tremendous pressure from within and without the state to discontinue the suit FHC/YNG/CS/99/2019 so as not to jeopardise the chances of the PDP and avoid the Rivers and Zamfara scenario that befell the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 governorship election.
Notable stakeholders in the party had also pressed him to accept the offers from other political parties that were willing to accept him as their governorship candidate for him to be on the ballot in the November 16 governorship election.
However, with the deadline for opportunity to substitute candidate expiring by midnight of September 23, Alaibe in a statement titled ‘My Final Decision on the Way Forward’ foreclosed dumping the PDP and insisted on fight the injustice meted out to him with the PDP governorship primary election.
His statement read in part: “Some people have questioned the need for a court process. The answer is simple: any injustice that is not challenged and corrected will surely be repeated. And we will be the victims.
“As an advocate of peace and non-violence, I decided to accept the advice of the stakeholders and seek justice through legal means. In the course of the race, it was clear that many people in positions of public trust openly abandoned their statutory responsibilities and joined forces with others to feed the unsuspecting public with all kinds of conspiracy theories.
“Despite their hard punches, we kept fighting on. We kept preaching our message of economic salvation. We had unshaken faith in God and trust in our party. Various attempts to negotiate and reach compromise on certain issues were rebuffed with public bragging and wicked propaganda.
“Still, we refused to give up. My beloved supporters and people of Bayelsa State, I have come to the ultimate conclusion that this struggle must continue until we achieve justice. I am not deaf to your suggestions.
“I am not ignorant of your patience. I am not giving up. You must also not give up. The decision I have taken may hurt a lot of people. Others may be disappointed. But it is taken in good faith.
“As I promised you at the beginning of this race, my previous exit from the PDP was based on principle; my return was based on necessity. After considering every suggestion by stakeholders and supporters, it is therefore, my decision not to join any other political party but to stay in the PDP and pursue justice until I achieve it.”
Meanwhile Governor Dickson has confirmed that he has attempted to reach out to Alaibe and even sent emissaries to him over the outcome of the governorship primary election.
Dickson who disclosed this during a live media chat described Alaibe as a good man and party man and expressed optimism that his overtures to Alaibe would yield fruit since he (Alaibe) would not want Bayelsa to fall into wrong hands. (
Culled from The Sun
