Inspite of alleged procedural fraud and supervised conspiracy during the concluded gubernatorial primaries in Bayelsa state, former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ndutimi Alaibe has vowed to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to seek justice.
Alaibe, who came second at the primary poll, which Senator Douye Diri won, said despite pressure mounted on him to seek an alternative platform to actualise his governorship ambition in the November 16 election, he would prefer to pursue his case in the PDP.
Alaibe approached the Federal High Court with prayers to void the primary poll alleging procedural fraud and demanding an order for a fresh internal election.
In a statement he signed on Monday following expectations he would defect to another party, Alaibe said he took his decision to remain in the PDP in good faith.
He said: “My beloved supporters and people of Bayelsa State, I have come to the ultimate conclusion that this struggle must continue until we achieve justice. I am not deaf to your suggestions. I am not ignorant of your patience. I am not giving up. You must also not give up. The decision I have taken may hurt a lot of people. Others may be disappointed. But it is taken in good faith.
“As I promised you at the beginning of this race, my previous exit from the PDP was based on principle; my return was based on necessity. After considering every suggestion by stakeholders and supporters, it is, therefore, my decision not to join any other political party but to stay in the PDP and pursue justice until I achieve it. Thank you for your understanding and God bless you”.
Narrating the circumstances that led to his latest decision, he said: “Some people have questioned the need for a court process. The answer is simple: any injustice that is not challenged and corrected will surely be repeated. And we will be the victims. As an advocate of peace and non-violence, I decided to accept the advice of the stakeholders and seek justice through legal means.
“Although this was misunderstood by some people, I want to sincerely thank my supporters and indeed all lovers of democracy and the rule of law for their understanding and massive support so far. I salute your calmness and perseverance in the face of great injustice. But please understand that I need you now more than ever.
“As expected, some people have suggested that I should simply dump the PDP and accept the various offers by other political parties so that we would realise our vision of implementing the Blue Economy and Project Dolphin in Bayelsa State. That is indeed an excellent suggestion.
“It demonstrates the depth of confidence people have in my capacity and competence to deliver on my promises no matter the political platform. Others have also advised that I remain in the PDP, seek justice and contribute to the complete reformation of the party. This, also, is a beautiful suggestion that must be considered.
“There is no doubt that the Bayelsa people want to know the way forward after the huge disappoint. I am as concerned as you have been. Let me say that I have diligently listened to your suggestions and I have decided to act appropriately. In arriving at this decision regarding the way forward, I am conscious of the fact that this is not about any political party. It is not even about me as an individual. It is about justice. It is about our beloved Bayelsa State. It is about us.
“It was your collective decision that prompted me to contest this election. Whatever step I am going to take at this point is equally based your collective advice and the future of our state. We believe that the administrative narrative in our state must change for the better. We must move from mediocre leadership to visionary and mission-propelled governance. That was why I promised you that though this mission has been repeatedly aborted over the years, this time, I will not fail you. We will fight to the end.
So far, we have stayed on course and even those who set out to play god and had underrated our collective resolve not to be frightened out of the race with cheap blackmail, are shocked at our tenacity. We have been able to conquer intimidation with unpredictable resilience. Despite all attempts, they have not been able to fault our superior arguments demonstrated in our vision. We have shown them that we mean business, and that we are too focused to be distracted.
“In the course of the race, it was clear that many people in positions of public trust openly abandoned their statutory responsibilities and joined forces with others to feed the unsuspecting public with all kinds of conspiracy theories. Despite their hard punches, we kept fighting on.
“We kept preaching our message of economic salvation. We had unshaken faith in God and trust in our party. Various attempts to negotiate and reach compromise on certain issues were rebuffed with public bragging and wicked propaganda. Still, we refused to give up”.
