“How I Turned Down Rituals Offer to Become Bayelsa Governor,” Diri Speaks

• Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri has narrated how his faith in God and not rituals secured his Supreme Court victory, earning him the title "miracle governor"
• During the Kolokuma/Opokuma Thanksgiving, Governor Diri revealed that he rejected rituals offer in 2020 and instead relied solely on God to win his governorship battle
• In a judgement delivered by the Supreme Court, David Lyon’s victory was overturned and Diri was declared the winner of the Bayelsa state governorship election

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa state has revealed how he paid the sum of $10,000 to marabouts from Kenya contracted on his behalf to spiritually facilitate his emergence as governor.

He, however, said he rejected the ritual.

As reported by Daily Trust, while speaking during the KOLGA (Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area) Annual Day of Thanksgiving held in Sampou, his community on Friday, January 17, Diri said his absolute faith in God earned him the sobriquet ‘Miracle Governor.’

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The governor also narrated how in 2020, a senior citizen invited him to Abuja and advised him to perform certain rituals if he wanted to be governor and how he turned down the offer.

Governor Diri’s spokesman, Daniel Alabrah in a statement on Saturday, January 18, quoted him as telling the crowd at the gathering that the senior citizen flew in some marabouts from Senegal to perform the rituals when the matter was still pending at the Supreme Court but he bluntly rejected the offer.

He said the man demanded a refund of the money spent to transport them into the country and he had to pay him the sum of $10,000.

He explained that his unshaken faith in God made him decline the advice to look elsewhere for help, saying God, against all the odds, proved that He is always faithful.

He emphasised the need for politicians to learn from his experience and put their trust in God rather than in man.

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He said:

“I thank God and also thank Apostle David Zilly Aggrey because he started this event.

“Let me reveal to you why it is important to thank God and have faith in Him. Sometime ago, a senior citizen of this country invited me to Abuja and asked me to perform certain sacrifices but I declined. I told him my faith in God will not allow me to do it. He got angry and told me I would never become governor.

“He told me that he had spent $10,000 to bring the people for the sacrifice and asked for a refund, which I obliged.

“When the Supreme Court’s pronouncement came, the man was shocked and could not call me. Sadly, he passed on after some time.

“The story I have narrated was witnessed by my deputy and a friend in Abuja as both of them accompanied me to visit the senior citizen."

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Diri, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 off-cycle governorship election in the state, had lost to the then candidate of th All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief David Lyon.

But Diri challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaration of Lyon as the winner and eventually won at the Supreme Court.

Read more Bayelsa-related news:

• Diri approves Christmas break for workers in Bayelsa
• Governor Diri hands over power to deputy, reason emerges
• Bayelsa announces N80k new minimum wage
• Bayelsa has been in darkness for 3 months, Governor Diri cries out
• Bayelsa government mobilises environment ministry amid NiMeT’s flood warnings

Supreme Court confirms Diri authentic Bayelsa gov

In another development, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Supreme Court struck out Timipre Sylva's suit and declared Douye Diri as the authentic governor of Bayelsa state.

A five-member panel of the Apex Court headed by Justice Lawal Garba, in a unanimous judgment, dismissed Sylva's appeal for lacking merit.

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The unanimous decision of the apex court upheld the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal.

Source: Legit.ng