By Onozure Dania

Former Minister of Petroleum, Chief Dan Etete, has urged all parties in the forth coming governorship election in Bayelsa State to allow peace to reign during and after the poll, saying that only through peace can development be brought to the oil-rich state.

In a statement, yesterday, Etete urged the people to accept whatever result that comes from the election and urged all Bayelsans to join hands with whoever wins to develop the state.

Yakubu, new INEC boss

He said: “Since July 2015, when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced the time table for the governorship election in Bayelsa State and fixed it for December 5, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Politicians across the divide, in order to drum up support for themselves, have done everything under the sun, including intimidation and threat, to make their position clear to the people.

“In recent times, some organisations have even gone to the extent of threatening President Muhammadu Buhari over the elections. A militant organisation even went as far as admonishing  President Buhari not to engage election riggers in the governorship election as such vicious and surreptitious antics shall not only be vehemently resisted, but may also lead to waking the sleeping dog from sleep. They also called on the United Nations and, indeed, the international community, to bear them witness as they are not unaware of the planned use of federal might to intimidate the people of Bayelsa State in favour of their chosen candidate.

“May I say, with every sense of responsibility, that such threats have no place in a democracy. There is enough room for everyone if only we can agree that all of us cannot rule at the same time. The founding fathers of this state, of which I am privileged to be one, have lofty dreams for the people and the state since its creation in 1997.

“Almost 20 years after, I am happy with the achievements of this great state. I am particularly happy that within its short existence, Bayelsa can, with pride, compare to other federating units in Nigeria in terms of human and material development. I am grateful to the Almighty that the first President from the South-South zone hails from Bayelsa State.

“Gradually,  the Ijaw nation is beginning to enjoy a pride of place in Nigeria.  We can only go higher at the rate at which we are developing provided we do not use our hands to destroy what the founding fathers have toiled very hard to build.”