Ahead of the Bayelsa governorship election scheduled to hold in November 2023, supporters of David Lyon Friday stormed the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to purchase N50 million Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for him.
Lyon was declared the winner of the 2019 governorship election, but a day to his swearing-in as governor, his election was invalidated by the Supreme Court.
The Apex court ruled that his running mate, Degi Eremienyo Wangagra submitted a fake certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while ordering that Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who came second in the election be issued a certificate of return, which made him governor-elect.
But addressing journalists on Friday in Abuja on behalf of his supporters, a former Secretary of the Bayelsa APC, Mr. Marlin Danier described Lyon as a young man that gallantly fought the former governor, Seriake Dickson and won but, “unfortunately, the arms of the law were twisted against him and he was denied the opportunity of being the governor of Bayelsa State to save that state.”
He stressed that Lyon was supposed to be given the right of first refusal by the party, adding that the sale of forms were not supposed to be made open to other members of the party.
Danier stated: “Today we are back here to get the form for him to go back and contest this election. Ordinarily, and under normal circumstances, he was supposed to be given the right of first refusal by the party.
“Sales of forms are not supposed to be made open. Because he’s the only person that can win the election for APC in Bayelsa State, as it stands now.
“I’m 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 that it is picking Chief David Lyon as a candidate for the party.”
Danier stressed that Lyon had been tested, tried and trusted, adding that the PDP-led administration was already inviting pastors and Imams from different quarters to go and pray against the emergence of Lyon as the candidate for APC.
According to him, “He is their nightmare. They are comfortable with every other person but him, they know they are off. That has been their prayer.
I can confidently and categorically tell the world that if David Lyon is given the ticket today to represent the party more than half of the membership of PDP will come back to the APC.”
Also, a former member of the House of Representatives, Stella Dorgu said the party have put plans in place to ensure that Lyon wins the ticket and the election itself
She said, “We will go from door to door, woman to woman, man to man, plain to plain as we used to say back home. And I know that victory is ours. “
