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The Bayelsa State government has granted permission to the opposition All Progressives Congress to use the Ox-bow Lake Pavilion in Yenagoa for its mega rally ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
In a statement on Friday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, mentioned that the APC was given express permission to use the newly completed facility after paying the requisite fee which the ruling Peoples Democratic Party also paid.
Soriwei also said that the decision to readily grant permission to the APC to use the Ox-bow Lake Pavilion was in consonance with Governor Seriake Dickson’s reputation for a culture of political tolerance in the state.
He urged the APC leadership and members to take care of the facility and to make their rally as peaceful as possible.
Soriwei recalled that Dickson gave out the Samson Siasia Stadium which was the safest venue to President Muhammadu Buhari for his presidential rally in Bayelsa State in 2015, even when he was running against former President Goodluck Jonathan who hails from the state.
He also said that the governor, who places emphasis on the building of a culture of tolerance in the political process in Bayelsa, also released the stadium to Timipre Sylva and APC members who defected from the PDP in 2015 campaign against him.
According to him, Dickson further invited the then-candidate of the APC to join him to receive the party’s delegation led by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
He stated further that the governor, in his display of political maturity, released the same Ox-bow Lake for the APC presidential rally in addition to receiving the Vice President in accordance with standard practice early in the year.
He urged the APC members to give priority to the need to have peaceful campaigns devoid of violence, noting that the essence of political contest was not to kill and maim the innocent but to engage the people for their votes.
Meanwhile, the APC in Bayelsa State has cancelled the formal ceremony to commence its campaigns which was earlier scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at the state government-controlled Ox-bow Lake Pavilion.
This was announced in a message by the state Publicity Secretary of the APC Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, who is also the Secretary, Media and Publicity Committee of the party’s Governorship Campaign Council .
He said, “There will be no formal flag-off on Saturday. All arrangements will now be for the grand finale on 12 November.”
Source: Daniels Igoni, Yenagoa
