The IYC in a statement on Sunday, signed and sent to newsmen by its President, Peter Timothy Igbifa, said Diri as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Electoral Committee in Osun, proved that an Ijaw man could be trusted to deliver in a national assignment.
Igbifa, who congratulated Diri for piloting the success of his party in Osun, said the victory of the PDP had brought shame to the enemies of the Bayelsa governor and the Ijaw nation within the PDP, who had earlier conspired to make the Bayelsa governor fail in his first national party assignment.
He said: “As a council, we noticed that some PDP leaders were not happy that an Ijaw man was appointed to handle the Osun electoral matters. They conspired against Governor Douye Diri to make him fail in his first national party assignment.
“They referred to him as an inexperienced politician and tried to demean and relegate him to the background. But man is not God. Diri triumphed as a miracle governor and delivered a resounding victory to his party.”
Igbifa observed that Diri undertook extra measures including resolving the internal crisis in the Osun PDP a few days before the election to perfect his party’s success at the poll.
“We observed that our brother, Diri, went extra miles to perfect his party’s victory at the poll. The Bayelsa governor murdered sleep, held various meetings to reconcile warring stakeholders in his party. As a peacemaker, he demonstrated the dogged spirit Ijaws are known for to bring victory to his party”, he said.
The IYC boss called on all Ijaw stakeholders to always support their leaders and pray for them to succeed in their national assignments instead of joining enemies of Ijaw nations to pull them down.
He said: “We must unite to support our own especially when they are handling national assignments. We should resist the selfish inclinations to engage in pull-down syndrome. We are glad that despite all obstacles placed in his way, governor Diri represented the Ijaw nation well and gave victory to his party.
“We also thank the PDP and the people of Osun for entrusting the Bayelsa governor with such an assignment. As a council, we will always support our kinsmen in their efforts to break into the political limelight and be reckoned with in