[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n their best interest, I will not mention their names or reveal their identities. The victory at Bayelsa was largely due to their tenacity, self-sacrifice, and resilience. They are the true heroes and sheroes of our democracy.
Some of them were killed, shot at and maimed, incidents that were denied by the Nigerian authorities regardless of pictures and videos available on social media.
The Gate Keepers were everywhere air can get and, indeed, informed us of the happenings per time as they occurred. Because of them, victory could not be denied regardless of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national gang-up against the people of Bayelsa.
I did mention earlier that the APC has again used the Bayelsa election to further brand itself as an extremely unpopular, violent, and rejected political party. That is for a fact. The good news is that the entire world is now aware and everyone is on the alert.
We, the good people of Nigeria, will not give in or succumb to violence. We will rise up to the challenge and put the marauders in their proper places. We are already in alliance with international rights organisations documenting the atrocities, carnage and indisputable human rights violations by elements within the APC against the people of Nigeria especially in the South. By the grace of God, we will bring them to justice even if it takes us to The Hague.
For Rivers State, since the last visit of the minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, to the state, chieftains and members of the People’s Democratic Party have come under constant attack. Some have been killed. We will not give up on the quest for justice. We will not relent. Most of all, we will rise in defense of our commonwealth, heritage and future. We will continue to man the gates of our domain against usurpers, Judases and subservient political elements loyal to foreign gods. There is no alternative.
Emulating the people of Bayelsa and seeing the hand of the APC, we have all become gatekeepers of Rivers State and indeed Nigeria. We will not just keep our State secure and on the path of progress, we will take back our country and reverse it to the course of true tangible transformation.
We will win because we are more.
Oraye St. Franklyn is a barrister-at-law. He is senior special assistant to Governor Nyesom Wike on Social Media. He is a strategic communicator and good governance advocate, writes from Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He tweets from @RealOraye. He is also on Facebook.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
