- Former President Olusegun Obasanjo hinted at his support for Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri's re-election bid during a visit to the state
- Obasanjo praised the continuity of the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie senatorial road project, initially initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan and continued by Senator Seriake Dickson
- In what appears to be a reference to Diri's second term bid, the former president emphasised the importance of keeping a winning horse in a race
Legit.ng journalist Nurudeen Lawal has 9 years of experience covering political campaigns and elections
Yenagoa, Bayelsa state: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo may have backed the state governor, Douye Diri, who is seeking re-election for a second term as Bayelsa state governor.
Obasanjo was in the southern state recently to inaugurate a 10.75km second phase of the ongoing Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie senatorial road.
Read also
Imo 2023 governorship elections: Ohanaeze advises citizens on who to vote for
Inaugurating the project, the former president applauded ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who started the project when he was the governor of Bayelsa state, as well as Senator Seriake Dickson for continuing it.
He noted that that is the importance of continuity.
According to Obasanjo, if you have a horse that is winning in a race, there is no need to change it, making reference to Governor Diri’s second term bid, Daily Trust reported.
In a statement on his Facebook page, Govermor Diri also said the former president has backed his second-term bid.
"You have acknowledged that we need to continue, and continue we will. We will continue to provide service to our people," he wrote.Bayelsa governorship elections 2023: The contenders
Bayelsa is one of the three states where governorship elections will take place on Saturday, November 11. Others are Imo and Kogi state.
Read also
Bayelsa 2023: Labour Party adopts PDP's Douye Diri as guber candidate? spokesman reacts
Diri is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the poll. His main rivals include Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Engr. Udengs Eradiri of the Labour Party (LP).
Bayelsa 2023: Diri disks disqualification
Meanwhile, a lawsuit has been initiated at a Federal High Court in Abuja, aiming to disqualify Governor Diri and his Deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
The lawsuit, which is currently under the jurisdiction of Justice Emeka Nwite, seeks a mandatory injunction ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exclude Diri and Ewhrudjakpo from the list of candidates representing the PDP in the election.
The suit also seeks a permanent injunction to prevent INEC, its agents, or associates from continuing to announce them as the party's candidates in the upcoming poll.
Source: Legit.ng
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbHGoqtnppdkvbC4yK2gnKtfZoJ3fZhxa2aaka6yrb%2FAZpylnZOptrC60mZpaWpjYryjrdKapaOnXZ22r8DSZpinp5mjwaawjKCmr52io7yzv8eip2abkaOxqrDArZxo