Senator Ben Murray Bruce has explained that his withdrawal from the Senatorial race in 2019 is in respect of a rotational arrangement that exists within his senatorial district.
Bruce who represents Bayelsa East Senatorial District, Bayelsa State, explained that he realized the arrangement in the course of his campaign.
According to him, the senatorial seat rotates per local government area among the three councils for four years in the Senatorial District.
He said he withdrew despite the massive support he enjoyed because he cared about the wellbeing of the people.
He added that he did not want to appear as using his influence to do something that would not be in the overall interest of the people.
His words: “My support to our party, my people and state government is unquestionable. I am humbled that the national leadership of my party supported by the State chapter in appreciation of my efforts offered to support my reelection to the senate to continue my service.
“I have also intensified consultations in the last couple of week in the course of which I have come to realize an existing local rotational arrangement of over 20 years beginning with the late Great Chief Melford Okilo, by which arrangement the Senatorial seat rotates per local government area among the three councils for four years in the Senatorial District.
“Even with the support of my party at the National and state levels with the full backing of my state government and leadership, as a man of honour interested in the well being of my people, I hereby announce my withdrawal from the Senatorial race.
“I do not want whatever reason to appear to have used my privileged position and influence to do anything that other than the well-being and the stability and the good of the people.
“I am in all of these for the people, not for myself.”
Bruce who said he would be ready to heed a call to service whenever called upon, thanked everyone for the support he had enjoyed.
“Once again, I thank the former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebelo Jonathan, the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, my colleagues in the Senate and Governor of Bayelsa State, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson for their support and encouragement.
“I also thank the leadership of my Senatorial District and state, for being there for me.
“I thank specially the people of my constituency for their trust and confidence in me to serve and represent them in the Senate.
“By trusting me with this mandate, I have come to know them and our people even better, an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life,” he said.
