Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, has said the prayers he received from the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, helped in his declaration as winner of the November 16, 2019, governorship election by the Supreme Court.
Diri also described his victory at the apex court as a ‘miracle accomplished’.
The governor stated these during the RCCG March, 2020, Holy Ghost Service held at the church’s headquarters along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Friday night.
The Supreme Court had on February 13 sacked the All Progressives Congress candidate, David Lyon, and his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, and declared Diri and his running mate, Lawrence Ewrujakpor, both of the Peoples Democratic Party candidates, as the winners of the election held in the state.
The apex court had in its ruling, which came 24 hours before the swearing in of Lyon and his running mate, said it found irregularities in the credentials of the ex-APC deputy governor-elect.
It also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue fresh certificates to the candidates of the party with the next highest votes and with the required constitutional spread of votes in the results of the election.
But speaking during his testimony on Friday night, Diri said he visited Adeboye on December 11, during his judicial battle over the election and received the cleric’s prayer at midnight.
The governor explained, “I went through the governorship election in Bayelsa State on November 16, 2019, and thereafter I was alleged to have lost the election.
“I promptly rejected those results and continued with the judicial process in Nigeria.
“During the process, I visited this church (RCCG) on December 11 during the programme of the Great Turnaround.
“After the service, I went to see Daddy G. O. at midnight. He prayed for me and thereafter, he said, ‘It is well. Go and when you receive it, come back to the church’.
“The judicial processes continued until February 13, about 24 hours to the swearing-in ceremony of the alleged winner. Brethren, a miracle was accomplished – the Supreme Court declared me the winner of that election.
He added, “I have come to return the glory onto Him (God) and to Him alone. I want to thank Daddy G.O. and all of you who stood with me in prayers.
“Today, I am and I have been sworn in as the governor of Bayelsa State,” Diri told the congregation.”
Meanwhile, Diri has said the Peoples Democratic Party would return to power at the presidency in 2023.
He also said the PDP would continue to dominate the politics of the state as it had always done since 1999.
Diri, who spoke during a PDP stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, Yenagoa, said the APC was shaky and had disappointed Nigerians.
The governor also met with the chairman, members of the state executive as well as zonal and local government officials of the party during which he appealed to aggrieved members to close ranks and work as a united family.
According to him, the people had seen the difference in performance between the APC and the PDP and “would not make another mistake of entrusting the leadership of the country to the APC again.”
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Diri claimed that the supervision of electoral materials such as ballot papers which was directed by the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was a clear indication that the PDP did not lose the November 16, 2019 election.
He said the Federal Government was only good at deploying federal might for elections and not for development purposes.
During the meeting, he called for the observation of a one-minute silence in honour of party faithful and supporters that were killed during the election campaigns in the Nembe Local Government Area of the state.
Diri said, “The Federal Government displays federal might only for election purposes and it has lost a lot of credibility and respect in the international community because of the undemocratic role it played in the Bayelsa and Kogi elections.
“You believed and were loyal to the party and worked for its success. Without you, there would have been no PDP today. Our party will continue to lead in Bayelsa and move on to 2023 where we will capture the centre. That is why we must continue to contribute our quota.”
He, however, warned that any attempt to factionalise or destabilise the party would not be condoned.
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