By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

A former member of the Bayelsa state House of Assembly Wilson Ayakpo Dauyegha has responded to reports going the rounds that he betrayed Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the incumbent Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), during the 2019 Governorship Election in Bayelsa State.

Dauyegha, in a statement in Yenagoa said It is expedient that he address these inaccuracies and provide clarity on the matter so as to keep the records straight for posterity.

According to Dauyegha, the pivotal role Senator Lokpobiri played in his political voyage into the Bayelsa State 6th House of Assembly cannot be overemphasized as he said apart from the huge funds he expended in the election, Senator Lokpobiri also contributed in his victory at the polls and for that he is eternally grateful.

He said as a sign of gratitude to Lokpobiri, he remained loyal to him and took actions that were beneficial to Lokpobiri’s political interest as prior to the All Progressives Congress,APC, Primary Elections that produced Chief David Lyon in 2019, as the party’s flag bearer, he was rooting for Senator Lokpobiri to emerge as the APC gubernatorial candidate but as God would have it, Chief David Lyon emerged as the standard bearer.

He reiterated that to prove his loyalty to Lokpobiri, he went as far as rejecting the party’s decision on direct primaries as against Indirect primaries preferred by Senator Lokpobiri

At that instance, he went as far as confronting the then party Chairman Mr. Jotham Amos on the matter , adding that some of the actions he took due to his staunch support for Senator Lokpobiri, regretting that they made him inherit some political enemies of his estranged benefactor, the current Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil).

He said after the altercation with the then Bayelsa State Party Chairman of the APC, he was dissed from many quarters.

He added that before the political campaigns started, he was persuaded by many high ranking members of APC both at the national and state levels on the need to work for the party in the 2019 governorship elections.

Dauyegha said interestingly as it seems currently, those perceived political enemies he made just to protect Senator Lokpobiri’s political interests are now his allies .

He concluded that It is on record that he was demoted from his earlier post of Minority Leader of the Bayelsa 6th Assembly to Deputy Minority Leader, due to his staunch support for Senator Lokpobiri and the steps he took to stand against oppositions to his gubernatorial ambition in that 2019 election.

He therefore called on detractors parading such half-truths and falsehoods of him being a betrayer, to desist forthwith as even Lokpobiri himself have had cause to change political camps on several occasions to suit his personal interests.

“If Lokoobiri can not term himself a betrayer when he defected from Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, who helped him to secure his Senate seat in 2007 and moved to Chief Timipre Sylva’s camp who secured his first ministerial appointment as Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development in 2011, and now he has ported to the Wike political camp in 2023! Does these moves make Senator Lokponiri a betrayer too? If no, then, his political shifts and convictions shouldn’t be termed betrayal as well,” Dauyegha said.