By Ebi Kemelayefa
A businessman and oil magnate, Chief David Lyon has said that he was ready anytime and any day for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Bayelsa State.
Lyon said this on Tuesday, August 27, with analysts saying that his voyage into the guber race has shaken the political calculation in the state.
The business tycoon said that however the political compass in Bayelsa was set as far it’s a free and fair contest, there was hope he would win the APC ticket.
He discarded speculation making the round that he was forced to join the race, characterizing it through his Media Adviser, Chief Gift Ebiki, as “mischievous and unfounded”.
According to Lyon, “My team is 100 per cent ready to face the primary. We are expecting a direct primary, and we’re optimistic that we will win without problems.
“I have been in politics for long. I have also contested elections in the past. I am as a politician as I am a businessman.
“But somehow, I became a bigger businessman because of hard work, God’s blessings and my managerial skills.
“I also spend a lot of my time building my political relationships. So, I didn’t just enter politics today. Have you forgotten I contested the House of Assembly election with the former Speaker Kombowei but later stepped down for him to complete his second term in office?
“If I don’t have political ambitions, why did I join politics and remain there till now?
‘’I love Bayelsa State and most of my business investments are domiciled in the state. I believe I have everything it takes to address the problems of underdevelopment and poverty in our state”.
On allegations of lack of capacity against him, Lyon pondered on how he could have risen to be a major player in the oil and gas sector if he had no capacity and educational qualifications.
He said, “The oil politics is the biggest politics in the world and I have excelled in that industry. My business requires me to speak with people in OPEC and to relate with petroleum ministers across the world.
“So, what kind of capacity are they talking about? Besides, I have the best brains in my political team. No single man runs a democratic government.
‘’You need commissioners and advisers and listening ear to be a good administrator,” he said.
Reacting to insinuations that he lacked the ability to speak in public, Lyon, who is backed by Sylva said, “Am I not the one talking to you? I may not have oratorical skills like other public speakers, but you can see l can talk and I have been talking.
“And my talk and speeches will be enough to bring the development we are looking for. I am also a believer in action and less talk.
“In my private business, I have demonstrated the willingness to solve the problems in our state especially the problem of unemployment.
“I have over 7,500 employed in David Lyons companies for the past six years. I am a major contributor to peace in the state. Besides, I have been running a scholarship foundation that cuts across all the local government areas in the state.”
Describing former Governor Sylva as the pillar of the APC in Bayelsa, Lyon said it was a privilege to get Sylva’s endorsement of his ambition.
“Former Governor Chief Timipre, who is now a minister, is our boss. So, his support is tremendous to us. He’s our leader, and we will not betray him because he means well for the state,” he said.
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