Timi Alaibe, former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and one of the 21 aspirants seeking nomination for election as Governor of Bayelsa State, on Friday submitted his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms at Wadata House, the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party, in Abuja.
Accompanied by top ranking politicians from the state, Alaibe told the leadership of the party that despite the unprecedented number of aspirants from the state, he is seeking the governorship with incomparable public and private sector credentials in terms of management of both human and financial resources.
He said every aspirant that has picked the nomination form is a credible leader in his or her own right and that the more the number of people involved in the race, the difficult it would be for the delegates to make any mistake in picking the right person for the office.
He told the party leaders: “I come with strong leadership skills.
“I come with private and public sectors experience.
“I have the political capital.
“I have the social network that would be exploited for the good of Bayelsa people.
“I have strong managerial character and ideas needed to continue from where Governor Seriake Dickson will stop.
“I have quality business strategies to provide jobs for the youth.
“I have the required experience in conflict resolution.
“These are indisputable facts.”
The former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission disclosed that having managed nine states with 145 local government areas while serving at the NDDC, Bayelsa State, with only eight local government areas, will benefit from that experience.
Answering questions from journalists later, he explained that Governor Dickson has invested a lot in the development of the state such that the only way forward is to ensure that governance, after his exit, is not left in the hands of those who will neither keep pace with his vision nor take the state to a higher level.
He dismissed rumours that the Governor has already anointed a successor among his aides, which explains why many of them were picking the nomination form.
He said: “It is a rumour to assume that Governor Dickson has endorsed anybody.
“The governor has never said so.
“His aides have equal rights as others to seek nomination.
“If the governor is going to endorse anybody, it would be me.”
Alaibe thanked Dickson and the national leadership of the party for receiving him and others back to the party on their return.
He informed the party leadership that under Dickson, the PDP has regained its pride of place in Bayelsa State.
He said further: “Bayelsa State is a PDP State.
“We will continue to pursue the ideals of the party as presently pursued by Dickson.
“He has invested in critical sectors of the State.”
Earlier, the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Yemi Akinwonmi, had assured that the party’s primaries will be conducted in a manner that will satisfy the yearnings of the people, especially the international community, “to show that PDP is promoting democracy in Nigeria.
“We’re going to do what we know how to do best by conducting free and fair primary.”
The National Organising Secretary of PDP, retired Colonel Austin Akobundu, expressed delight at the quality of aspirants for the governorship race in Bayelsa.
Akobundu said Bayelsa State “parades men and women of huge pedigree in leadership.
“Timi Alaibe is one of them.”
He said the party is happy to see such calibre of people stepping forward to effect change in the system instead of staying back to grumble when others have failed them.
He advised that “the best should always step forward to lead us.
“It is not enough to stay back and grumble.
“PDP must retain the governorship of Bayelsa.”
Akobundu said the position of the party has always been that despite the number of people involved in the race, “we must have a flag bearer that will lead us in battle.”
He advised all the aspirants to play the game according to the rules, adding: “We do not have a favoured aspirant.
“PDP ticket is not for sale.
“Only the best shall win it.
“We will support all the aspirants equally.”
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