By Emem Idio

YENAGOA-IT was a night of conflict and drama between the Bayelsa State governor and candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Seriake Dickson and his top challenger and flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, as they used euphemisms and innuendoes to describe the performance and status of their administrations during the Bayelsa State governorship debate held on Wednesday night.

The governorship debate, organised by an indigenous private radio station based in Yenagoa, Royal FM, in collaboration with the British Council, was attended by four governorship candidates, Governor Dickson,  Chief Sylva, Moses Siasia of the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM and Henry Akpeli, of the Democratic Peoples Congress, DPC.

The well attended debate saw Dickson and Sylva antagonise each other.

While Dickson fired the first salvo with the description of the past administration as being characterized by killings and cult related violence,  Sylva countered by describing the current administration as “outgoing.”

Dickson, in a display of anger over the “outgoing” status branded his administration by Sylva, called the attention of the moderator to the comment, describing same as “displaying show of disrespect to a sitting administration.”

Dickson and Sylva also exchanged innuendoes against each another during the debate on issues of child rights and security.

While Sylva insisted that he left behind a peaceful and secured state, he noted that the rate of insecurity in the current administration was high and worrisome.

Dickson, who dismissed Sylva’s claim as “political,” pointed out that his administration had put in place enduring peace, stressing that the recent cases of kidnapping being witnessed were the handiwork of some disgruntled elements to cheap score political points.