My attention has been drawn to a rejoinder published by one Comr. Daniel Akpoebi Erekake CMC, titled “Bayelsa West is Ready”, purporting to counter my earlier position that Bayelsa West Senatorial District should bury its 2027 governorship ambitions. While democratic engagement thrives on divergent opinions, it is essential that debates of this nature are anchored on facts, reason, and decorum, rather than on mischief, distortion, or personal attack. It is therefore necessary to respond point by point, placing the records in their proper context for the benefit of the public and the sanctity of truth.
The author’s excursion into my personal academic journey in an attempt to water down my argument is entirely irrelevant to the subject under discussion. Such commentary is not only unprofessional but exposes a lamentable poverty of reasoning and a dangerous absence of moral restraint. True education refines the mind, and a truly educated person refrains from dragging personal matters into unrelated public discourse. It is a mark of illiteracy of the mind to believe that governance debates should be polluted with petty insults about one’s academic timeline. Those with genuine academic substance do not trumpet it in boastful tones; rather, it is the practice of rogues and shallow-minded persons, who often cannot defend the very certificates they wave in public, to make noise about such matters. The issue at stake is governance and the future of Bayelsa State, not the playground of academic ridicule.
The assertion that Bayelsa West is the “rightful” district to produce the next governor is bereft of logical foundation and collapses under the weight of verifiable historical facts. My earlier publication made it abundantly clear that Bayelsa Central and Bayelsa West have, in recent years, enjoyed substantial tenures at the helm of state leadership, while Bayelsa East has been left out of the power equation for well over a decade. Bayelsa West, through Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, held the governorship for eight uninterrupted years, and to now push for the same district to return so soon is nothing more than an expression of political greed and the pursuit of narrow personal interest. Equity, justice, and the long-standing gentleman’s zoning arrangement dictate that 2027 is the rightful turn of Bayelsa East. Anything to the contrary would not only violate this principle but also deepen division, foster resentment, and undermine the unity of the state.
The argument that Bayelsa West possesses a supposedly competent leader ready to govern is a proposition that must be tested against the immutable standard that competence is proven by results, not declared by proclamation. Leadership ability is not a matter for self-congratulation or cheerleading by partisan loyalists; it is a factual condition established by demonstrable achievements, visible impact, and a track record of excellence that withstands scrutiny. Propaganda, media hype, or selective glorification cannot substitute for proven capacity. If Bayelsa West indeed has such a leader, let the individual’s public record speak for itself in concrete terms. Until then, such claims remain speculative. In contrast, Bayelsa East has within its fold men and women of integrity and proven competence who have served meritoriously at the state, national, and even global stage. These individuals have the pedigree and tested capacity to lead Bayelsa into an era of progress and stability without reliance on empty praise or orchestrated publicity.
In the final analysis, the 2027 governorship contest must not be reduced to a scramble for advantage by the most ambitious or loudest region. It must be guided by the principles of fairness, justice, and the preservation of unity among the three senatorial districts. The historical facts are unambiguous, the moral claim is clear, and the path of justice points firmly in one direction, that it is Bayelsa East’s turn to produce the next governor. To act otherwise would be to enthrone inequity and weaken the very foundations of the political stability we have enjoyed since the state’s creation.
Chief Gen. Inko Brightstar A.K.A. “WhoKnows Tomorrow” National Publicity Secretary, PAP (Phase 3) Financial Secretary, APC Southern Ijaw LGA Ward 13
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