Yenagoa—Barr. Jeremiah Owoupele, an aspirant vying for the Sagbama-Ekeremor Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives has reiterated his opposition to the alteration of an existing zoning arrangement in Bayelsa West Senatorial District.
Owoupele who is the Technical Adviser to Governor Douye Diri on Information and Strategy made this known in a statement obtained by mangrovepen.ng on Friday.
He revealed that there are plans to return Senator Henry Seriake Dickson to the Senate and persuade Hon. Fred Agbedi to also return to the House of Representatives against the age-long written agreement.
According to him, “while it is our leader’s right to appeal to all in the instant circumstance, it is also the right of the people to either accept or stand by our agreement, one which had the endorsement of all including political parties in recent time.
“In responding to this development am guided by certain realities among which is our leader asking a whole group of people to drink the chalice of injustice to satisfy a man who without any duress consented to this age-long agreement?
“Is our leader by his actions telling us that there is no agreement?”
The former spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) stated that the incumbent Senator has no moral justification to renege on the zoning arrangement.
He opined that the people of Ekeremor Local Government Area deserve their fair share of the senate seat, just as the people of Sagbama Local Government Area also deserve the House of Representatives seat.
His words, “While it is acknowledged that one good turn deserves another, in the instant case, the incumbent Senator himself subscribed, campaigned and won on the strength and persuasion of zoning. Therefore, there is no moral nor political justification for him to now renege and attempt to take what is not his to take as right.
“I want to appeal to all men of good conscience in Sagbama and Ekeremor that injustice anywhere is a clog to human progress. The people of Ekeremor deserve their fair share of the senate seat. In the same breath, we the people of Sagbama also deserve the House of Representatives seat.
“We have bought forms and we have been consulting in our bid to get elected. In doing this we have expended resources, mentally, politically and psychologically.
“Our people have also shown their willingness and resilience to be part of this unique history built on trust and a common understanding. Anything further from this will have far-reaching negative political implications.”
Owoupele who appealed to Governor Diri to in the spirit of fairness allow everyone to contest the elections, also urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to show good leadership in creating a fairground for all to contest and be voted for in the primary election.
“I want to also remind my leader who has introduced a new approach to politics, that of being absolutely sincere and putting the interest of the people as paramount to remain within this defined leadership boundaries.
“His people from Ayamasa are asking for justice as the people of Aleibiri are also asking him to uphold justice in this matter. The same justice which allowed them to vote massively against their son Rt Hon Peremobowei Ebebi.
“I urge the party also to show good leadership in creating a fairground for all to contest and be voted for in this primary election. This in my estimation is the best approach towards building a more endearing people-oriented Peoples Democratic Party,” he said
