Former President Goodluck Jonathan has applauded Governor Douye Diri’s dedication to combating insecurity in Bayelsa State, emphasizing that the governor’s re-election will further enhance the state’s safety.

According to Channels TV, during a visit to Diri in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Friday, Jonathan congratulated and expressed his relief that Diri’s re-election would safeguard the progress in curbing insecurity.

“We don’t want to plunge the state into unnecessary turmoil. The results have been announced, and we believe the election was conducted fairly. We believe the governor won the election, and we urge everyone to accept the outcome and cooperate with him. Let us all support him so that the state can progress,” Jonathan stated at the gathering.

“There should be nothing that will hinder the state’s advancement. We should prioritise the state’s development, beginning with the issue of peace and security. Within the last three years, there has been significant improvement in terms of cultism, kidnapping, and other crimes.”

“Before this election, I stated that if Diri lost, I would have relocated my mother to Abuja,” Jonathan recalled.

While recounting the tragic kidnapping and murder of his cousin, Jonathan expressed optimism that with Diri’s continued leadership, such incidents would soon become a distant memory.

“My cousin was abducted twice. On one of those occasions, one of my cousins, Solo, was killed when they threw him into the river, and he couldn’t swim,” he added.

“Therefore, we have experienced hell in this state and have now glimpsed a glimmer of hope. So, everyone should relax and allow Diri to focus on governance so that he can propel this state forward, enabling us to benefit as citizens.”

Earlier in the day, Diri received his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission, formalizing his second term in office. He will be sworn in for another four-year term next year.