The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri remained undecided on the choice of candidate to back among the Six Youth leaders lobbying the 110 delegates designated to vote for the President of the umbrella body of ijaw youths worldwide, the Ijaw Youths Council in the scheduled July 18th and 19th, 2023 elective Convention.
While the direction of support of Gov. Douye Diri is not certain, some of his aides and loyalists, including the Director of Transport, Lucky Youbougha, the Special Assistant to Former President Jonathan on Domestics, Waripamowei Dudafa and the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon. Tonye Isenah have pre-empted the Governor and pushing support for two aspirants from the Kolokuma/Opokuna axis where the Governor hails from.
While Dudafa is allegedly supporting Comrade Bouloukpo Subai, Lucky Youbougha and Tonye Isenah are throwing their weight behind Benjamin Appah. Ijaw youths regard their early and open display of support as a KOLGA agenda.
Despite their open display of support, the immediate past National Spokesman of IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe seems to gain wide acceptance among Ijaw Youths and Elders with his new era campaign.
Others in the race are the Former Speaker of the IYC Parliament, Comrade Digimie Pogonyo(Brass), Wilson Ikuli (Ogbia), former Central Zone Chairman, Comrade Jonathan Lokpobiri (Ekeremor).
Youth activists in the state however urged the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri to continue to play the fatherly role in the poll and allow the Ijaw youths to decide and produce a an acceptable successor for the Former President, Deacon Timothy Igbifa.
Investigations however revealed that Jonathan, Ikuli and Subai are reported to have risk disqualification based on the 45 years old age required to contest for any office in the IYC. They are allege to be above the required age limit for youth activism.
Some IYC youth leaders also argues that in the spirit of equity and fair play, the Kolokuma/Opokuma axis have produced President of the IYC twice with Iyonyife JonJon and Udengs Eradiri, while Bayelsa East and Bayelsa west have not produced whenever it was zones to Bayelsa,”it should be rotational. And it will give proper sense of belonging to the IYC.”
They further argued that the Central Senatorial district, should rather push for the Central Zone Chairmanship rather than IYC Presidency. Kolga have not produced the Central Zone Chairmanship.
However there is a raging crisis of confidence among the stakeholders of the IYC following allege misconduct by the Former President, Timothy Igbifa Igbifa who tried to ursup the powers of the IYC electoral committee led by one Urang.
It was gathered that Urang was allegedly being hindered by Igbifa to work. Igbifa went further to sell nomination/expression of intent forms to some other aspirants including Comrade Kenneth Olorogun without the knowledge of the committee, ” he was selling forms from his hotel rooms.”
The action of Igbifa, according to inside sources, have led to summary impeachment action and appointment of his Deputy, Comrade Savious Olali as Acting President of IYC.
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