Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has revealed that he once rejected an offer to perform voodoo rituals to secure his position as governor.
Governor Diri made the revelation during the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area (KOLGA) Annual Day of Thanksgiving in Sampou, his hometown.
According to Diri, a senior Nigerian citizen invited him to Abuja in 2020 and advised him to carry out certain rituals to enhance his chances of becoming governor.
However, Diri declined, stating that his unwavering faith in God would not allow him to participate in such practices.
The incident occurred during the period when Diri was contesting the Supreme Court case challenging the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as the winner of the November 2019 Bayelsa gubernatorial election.
He recounted, “I thank God and Apostle David Zilly Aggrey for starting this thanksgiving event. Through prayers, God made it possible for me to become governor. Let me share why I believe in thanking God. A senior citizen once called me to Abuja and asked me to perform sacrifices to ensure I became governor. I refused because of my faith in God. He became angry, insisting I would never be governor. He claimed to have spent $10,000 on arrangements for the rituals and demanded a refund, which I paid.”
Diri added that the Supreme Court later ruled in his favor, shocking the individual who had doubted him. Sadly, the person passed away some time afterward.
The governor stressed the importance of peaceful politics, saying, “As Kolokuma/Opokuma people, we must always thank God. Politics should not harm anyone, as only God decides who will rise to greatness. Let us remain civil and trust God in all things.”
Governor Diri assumed office on February 14, 2020, after the Supreme Court invalidated the results of the 2019 gubernatorial election and ordered that he be issued a certificate of return. He was re-elected in 2023.
