Ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa state, a group of supporters have called on the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to adopt David Lyon as the party’s consensus candidate for the race.
The group made the demand after it picked the N50 million APC governorship forms for Lyon who was declared winner of the 2019 Bayelsa guber election but his victory was upturned by the Supreme Court.
The APC has pegged the cost of its expression of interest and nomination forms at N50 million and fixed the governorship primary elections for Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo on April 10.
Addressing journalists, Merlin Daniel, a former APC Secretary in Bayelsa said only Lyon can win the governorship election for the party in the state, urging the NWC to ensure a level playing ground for all candidates gunning for the governorship position.
“Lyon is a young man that gallantly fought a very colossus governorship election and won but unfortunately, the arms of the law were twisted against him and was denied the opportunity of being the governor of Bayelsa state.
“Today, we are here to get the form for him to go back, and contest the same election. Ordinarily and under normal circumstances, he is supposed to be given the right of first refusal by the party.
“Am taking this message to the national executive and whoever is concerned, that if they want APC to produce the next governor of Bayelsa State, there is no doubt, picking Lyon as a candidate for the party.
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“He is tested, tried and trusted. As I talk to you, every day, the PDP-led administration is inviting pastors and Imams from different quarters to go and pray that he doesn’t become APC candidate.
“He is their nightmare. They are comfortable with every other person, but with him, they know they are off. That has been their prayer.
“I want to plead with the national secretariat. We need a level playing ground. So that we will overcome the temptation of going to court. We want to win elections, and Lyon is the only candidate that can win it for us.”
Stella Dorgu, a former member of the House of Representatives said Lyon would reclaim his mandate this time if given the party’s ticket.
She said: “This will be the second time in 4 years that we made this trip to pick up this form. But most unfortunately, victory was snatched from us just in the nick of time. Part of the reason was that, being true to his name Lion, dared to dare the Lion in its den.
“We are here to assure Bayelsans that we are ready this time. We’ve got our work cut out for us. We have put plans in place. And everybody knows that David Lyon is the best governor that Bayelsans can muster to do the job.”
Similarly, Indutimi Komonibo, a former minority leader of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, said the candidature of Lyon on the ballot paper for APC is a nightmare for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the state.
“What we want to tell the national leadership is that as far as we are concerned, the consensus is permitted in our constitution. We are therefore asking for consensus. We don’t want issues. All we ask for is for the national to just rectify Chief David Lyon as APC governorship candidate in 2023,” he said.
