As the race for Bayelsa West hots up, all the councillors of the 12 wards that make up Ekeremor Local Government Area have resolved to preserve the long-standing agreement on the zoning of National Assembly offices between Sagbama and Ekeremor LGAs.
The Bayelsa West Senatorial District comprises Sagbama and Ekeremor LGAs which also make up the Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency.
The Deputy Leader of the House, who represents Ekeremor Ward 6, Mr Pimo Sylvester, said all the councillors from the LGA decided to oppose any candidate from Ekeremor in defence of the agreement on power-sharing between the people of the two councils.
He said that the agreement to share the Senate’s seat and that of the House of Representatives between Sagbama and Ekeremor for a period of eight was beyond any political party to violate.
Sylvester said: “We just had a meeting with the former Governor, Chief Seriake Dickson, on his senatorial ambition. The point to note is that in this district, there is a long-standing agreement on the zoning of the National Assembly positions.
“This was an agreement by the people, and it goes beyond political parties. This unwritten power-sharing arrangement is for a period of eight years. This is the tenure of Sagbama, not Ekeremor.
“We are standing behind our former governor who is from Sagbama and we shall oppose any person coming from Ekeremor because it is unjust and unfair. We want Dickson to go the Senate to speak for the Ijaw nation. We believe in him, and fairness is on his side in this matter.”
Other councillors, Messrs Ekiye Doungha, Ekeremor Ward 4, and Esamasuode Agwanana, (Ward 2), said that the decision of an Ekeremor son, Peremabowei Ebebi, to contest against the zoning arrangement was unacceptable.
The councillors noted that efforts were being made to still prevail on the APC candidate, Peremobowei Ebebi, to reconsider his decision as the Ekeremor councillors and people would not be part of such a divisive political move.
The councilors stressed that it was unfair for an Ekeremor person to contest for Senate when the House of Reps seat is being occupied by an Ekeremor son in the person of Chief Fred Agbedi.