Why we need to win Bayelsa senatorial seats – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it will do all it can to win the two vacant senatorial seats in Bayelsa State, weeks after it lost the Edo election, its only political foothold in the South-south.

The party’s caretaker committee chairman, Mala Buni, disclosed this on Tuesday, during the inauguration of an eleven-member reconciliatory/election committee in Abuja.

Mr Buni, in his address, said winning the two senatorial seats “will aid the process of regaining the party’s foothold in the South-south, a region where the APC currently has no sitting governor.”

“Our success in this election is very crucial and strategic because of the need to have more supporting hands in the National Assembly for improved collaboration and synergy with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to successfully execute its policies and programmes to improve the lives of Nigerians.

“It has become imperative for us as the leading political party in Nigeria to build a virile, strong, vibrant and more united APC that would serve beyond, two, three, four or even five terms of office to ensure continuity and consolidation of the gains the party has achieved. This remains the surest way to fully actualise our manifesto and improve the lives of Nigerians,” he said.

Vacant seats

Two of the three senatorial seats for Bayelsa State became vacant following the resignation of both the governorship candidate of the PDP, Duoye Diri, and his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, as representatives of Bayelsa Central and West senatorial districts respectively at the Nigerian 9th National Assembly to contest the election.

Mr Diri was installed as the governor of the state after the Supreme Court sacked David Lyon of the APC, on the grounds that his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, presented false information to Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC.

However, with the defeat of the APC in just concluded governorship election in Edo, which was its last foothold in the region before the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, joined the PDP, the race to replace the two men in the red chamber has now intensified.

The newly inaugurated committee is led by the Gombe State governor, Inuwa Yahaya. Other members include Ovie Omo-Agege, Abdullahi Sahabi, Ali Ndume, Uba Sani, Fatima Goni, Chris Adegije, Yusuf Ocholi, Enyi Enyi, Ekebong Inwang, and Cletus Udoh.