The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said as a sitting governor, there was nothing unusual in his visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday, October 26.
Speaking at the Igbedi community in Constituency 2 of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state during the visit of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign train, Diri said he was at liberty to congratulate President Tinubu following the Supreme Court verdict on the presidential election.
A statement by his spokesperson and member of the Publicity Directorate of the Bayelsa PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying he was at the Presidential Villa to discuss serious state matters with the president, whom he said attended to the issues positively.
He contended that he was not disturbed by the speculations and lies of the opposition, whom he said became jittery because of the visit, stressing that propaganda had been the hallmark of their politics.
He said the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11 governorship election remained disqualified based on the first amended list of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and urged the Bayelsa electorate not to waste their votes on a party that is not on the ballot.
Diri, who noted he was not in Igbedi to campaign, said the projects of his administration in the community were evident.
The governor assured the people that during his second tenure, he would construct a road linking Igbedi to Kaiama, which would create better access to and from the Bayelsa International Airport from the East-West road and the Delta State axis.
Diri said: “Yesterday (Thursday), I was in Abuja and most of you saw the video trending. The opposition is now jittery and is telling lies. Of course, that is in their character.
“As a sitting governor, there is a sitting president and I do not owe them any explanation about my visit to the President.
“If the Supreme Court affirms the president of the country, as a sitting governor I reserve all the rights to visit him. But beyond that, I went for very serious state business and I can tell you that Mr. President attended to all the issues I raised.
“Those whose names have been delisted by amendment number one of INEC can no longer sleep. They will continue to have sleepless nights.
“In our second tenure, the other road that will be important to Bayelsa and even the people of Delta State and for the use of our airport will be to connect Igbedi to Kaiama. That will be the next project we will embark upon in our next tenure.”
Also speaking, the wife of the governor, Gloria Diri, who is a native of Igbedi, thanked the people of the community for the rousing welcome accorded her husband and the support given him over the years and urged them not to relent.
The governor inaugurated an internal road in the community and also observed a minute’s silence in honour of Mr. Peremobowei Tukuwei, who died in a tragic boat mishap on Wednesday while the APC campaigned in Nembe Local Government Area.
Tukuwei was the party’s state campaign council media and publicity director.
