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Damilola Aina, Abuja

Daily Courier – Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has said the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to throw open the contest for its presidential ticket is sacrosanct as it was done in the overriding interest of the party.

Governor Diri explained that although he is a strong proponent of zoning and rotation of the presidency to the South of the country, he accepted the decision in good fate as a loyal party member.

The Bayelsa helmsman spoke on Friday when former Vice President and a PDP presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar , visited him at the Government House, Yenagoa.

A press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying that no individual political ambition should be allowed to disorganise and disorientate the party.

He said: “I am one of the strong proponents of power rotation and zoning and I still believe that power should rotate to the southern part of Nigeria.

“However, our party has taken a decision and there is nobody that is greater than the party. As a party member, I cannot stand above our party. I am carefully choosing my words as an umpire because I am holding a very sensitive position as deputy chairman of one of the electoral committees.”

Governor Diri noted that Bayelsa will always work for the unity of the country and against any attempt to disintegrate it.

He stressed that the corporate existence of Nigeria would be the guiding principle in choosing a PDP presidential candidate at the party’s convention this month.

“Bayelsa, at the nick of time, will first of all put Nigeria into consideration. Bayelsa will not be part of those that will support the break up of Nigeria. Instead, it will as a matter of fact be part of the writing of history in making Nigeria great.”

Senator Diri, who described Alhaji Abubakar as one of the strong contenders for the party’s presidential ticket, noted that the PDP was more interested in wresting political power from what he described as “the rudderless, directionless and failed government of the All Progressives Congress.”

Diri urged the party to put its best foot foward and that the people would support whoever had the capacity to rescue Nigeria.

“Nigeria is moving, as those on the other side said, from top to bottom. The only party that can raise the country from bottom to top is no other than the PDP.”