PDP Chieftain Challenges Bayelsa APC Candidate to Debate with Diri

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State and former governorship aspirant in the party, Keniebi Okoko, on Tuesday challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) standard bearer, David Lyon, to a public debate with his PDP counterpart, Douye Diri, to articulate their future plans for the state.

Okoko, who was reacting to a statement by Lyon attacking him on his position that there was no basis for comparison between him and Diri, the PDP candidate, urged the people of the state to put aside sentiments and examine the credentials of the two candidates.

He argued that someone who would be the face of the state in the next four years must have the capacity, competence and character, rather than having his only qualification as being a pipeline surveillance contractor.

According to Okoko, "Our attention has been drawn to a badly written statement signed by one Gift Ebiki, an aide to David Lyon, the purported candidate of APC in the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State.

 

"While we do not want to join issues where there are really no issues, except with the childish rant contained in the statement, we insist that the APC so-called standard bearer cannot stand the mental and intellectual stature of the candidate of the PDP in any contest.

"We believe that if our dear state will make further progress than it has already made under the PDP, we must put sentiments aside and choose the better option between Diri and the man APC is putting forward. And the choice is clear, even to the blind.

"We are not asking for too much. All we ask is that Lyon should be allowed to have a face-to-face debate with Diri, the PDP candidate, or be given a chance to write a few pages what their plans and programmes for Bayelsa State are. If that is too much a task, we wonder how a man without a plan or who cannot articulate his programmes will systematically execute them.”

He said: "The fact is that Bayelsa people are now wiser and more sophisticated, and they know who the one being pushed like a robot is. Bayelsa State does not need or deserve a ‘push and start' governor like the one APC is pushing in their face.

“The state cannot afford to sacrifice their tomorrow on the altar of sentiments or the story being sold by the APC that Lyon has 'helped' a handful of persons in his community. Let him show us his credentials, let him tell the people of Bayelsa State how he plans to transform their lives."

Okoko, a key member of the PDP national and state election campaign councils, opined that being surveillance contractor does not automatically translate to being a good leader, and, therefore, urged the APC to stop deceiving the people of the state.

"We demand that a basic four essay competition should be organised for him with no aid from any aide and the script given to a headmaster to mark. If he passes, then I will support him to win the governorship election," Okoko mocked Lyon.

Lyon had described Okoko as the ‘attack Dog’ of the PDP, alleging that he hadn't gotten over his loss in the party primaries.