Former Managing Director of the Niger Delta
Development Commission (NDDC) and a prominent governorship aspirant in the just
concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primaries in Bayelsa
State, Chief Timi Alaibe, on Monday said he would continue to seek redress in
the court of law in his effort to address the alleged injustice done to him in
the poll.
The ex-coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty
Programme also shut down rumours that he would leave the PDP to contest the November
16 governorship election in another political platform, insisting that he
remains loyal to the party despite his reservations about the process that
threw up Senator Douye Diri, the party’s candidate.
In a statement he personally signed, Alaibe maintained
that his decision to seek judicial redress was a collective one, based on the
‘indisputable belief that a faulty process cannot produce a good and acceptable
result'.
He said: “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.
“Although this was misunderstood by some people, I
want to sincerely thank my supporters and indeed all lovers of democracy and
the rule of law for their understanding and massive support so far. I salute
your calmness and perseverance in the face of great injustice. But please
understand that I need you now more than ever.
“As expected, some people have suggested that I
should simply dump the PDP and accept the various offers by other political
parties so that we would realise our vision of implementing the Blue Economy
and Project Dolphin in Bayelsa State. That is indeed an excellent suggestion.
“It demonstrates the depth of confidence people
have in my capacity and competence to deliver on my promises no matter the
political platform. Others have also advised that I remain in the PDP, seek
justice and contribute to the complete reformation of the party. This, also, is
a beautiful suggestion that must be considered.
“There is no doubt that the Bayelsa people want to
know the way forward after the huge disappointment. I am as concerned as you
have been. Let me say that I have diligently listened to your suggestions and I
have decided to act appropriately. In arriving at this decision regarding the
way forward, I am conscious of the fact that this is not about any political
party. It is not even about me as an individual. It is about justice. It is about
our beloved Bayelsa State, and it is about us.”
He maintained that Bayelsa must move from mediocre
leadership to visionary and mission-propelled governance, stressing that it is
why he is determined that though his mission to lead the state has been
repeatedly aborted over the years, this time, he will fight to the end.
Alaibe added: “So far, we have stayed on course and
even those who set out to play god and underrated our collective resolve not to
be frightened out of the race with cheap blackmail are shocked at our tenacity.
“We have been able to conquer intimidation with
unpredictable resilience. Despite all attempts, they have not been able to
fault our superior arguments demonstrated in our vision. We have shown them
that we mean business, and that we are too focused to be distracted.”
He criticised those in positions of public trust,
who he said 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,” he said.
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