The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] for the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa state, Senator Diri Douye, on Wednesday refused to honour the invitation extended to him by the Code of Conduct Bureau in respect of allegations against him that he failed to declare his assets whilst he was the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Bayelsa state.
Senator Diri by the invitation was expected to appear before the Chairman of the Bureau Yesterday by 11 am but he failed to appear as information that got to the Bureau was that he was on a campaign tour in Bayelsa state.
However, in a swift reaction to the development while speaking with newsmen in Abuja, the petitioner Joseph Amberkedrimo stated that: “if for the third time the PDP candidate for the Bayelsa Governorship election Senator Douye Diri has deliberately refused to honour the CCB invitation to defend the allegations of Non declaration of assets and false declaration of assets, it’s a grave disrespect for the rule of law and constituted authority, therefore, the CCB should do the needful as Senator Diri is not above the law and he cannot continue to hold the CCB to ransom”.
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According to him: “I call on the CCB to stand up to their responsibilities and carry out their mandate without fear or favour and there should be no cover-up. The actions of Senator Diri has proven that he is an untrustworthy individual and a man not to be entrusted with a high office of a Governor and that he cannot be trusted with the resources of Bayelsa state.
“The pertinent question to ask is what is Senator Douye Diri hiding that he has deliberately refused to appear before the CCB? This is an insult to the sensibilities of not only the Bayelsa people who are yearning for good governance but to the entire Nigerian state.”
Specifically, Amberkedrimo who is the Executive Director of the Bayelsa Coalition For Good Governance had in a ‘petition dated September 17th, 2019 to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau declared that Senator Diri as Deputy Chief of staff to the Bayelsa State Governor between 2012 and 2013 as well as Principal Executive Secretary to the Governor from 2013 to 2014 and that during these periods he failed, refused or/and neglected to declare his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau as a public officer’.
He charged the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate the allegations and accordingly drag the Senator to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for trial.
According to a source at the Code of Conduct Bureau said that have extended invitations to the Senator on three different occasions that the Bureau may have no other option than to file charges against Diri at the Tribunal.
The PDP flag bearer in the election is currently on a statewide tour of the 8 local government areas of the state ahead of the election.
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