Following the defection of ex-Bayelsa Governor Senator Seriake Dickson to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Okungbowa Aiwerie examines the implications for the politics within the oil-rich state.
Final week, the rapid previous Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District within the NASS, defected from the Peoples’ Democratic Celebration (PDP) with fanfare to the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The transfer, interpreted by political analysts, signalled his readiness to problem the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) within the state within the 2027 common elections. A victory would consolidate his maintain on energy within the state, whereas a loss would actually bury his political profession.
Nonetheless, a bunch beneath the auspices of South South Reawakening Group (SSRG) has described the emergence of NDC as one borne out of “malice and deep animosity towards Gov Douye Diri,” as a result of it perceives him as “standing towards his bid to return to the Nigerian Senate for a 3rd time period”.
Its convener, Joseph Ambakederimo, in a press briefing in Yenagoa, Bayelsa Capital, accused Senator Seriake Dickson of breaching the zoning association in Bayelsa West by searching for re-election.
He mentioned by the zoning association in Bayelsa West, political workplace is rotated between Sagbama and Ekeremor clans with incumbents entitled to solely two tenures, including that Senator Seriake Dickson’s need for a 3rd time period “dishonours the unwritten Contract in Bayelsa West. “
He accused Senator Seriake Dickson of forming the NDC solely to pursue his re-election bid to the NASS.
His phrases, “The launch of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, a political celebration based by Senator Henry Dickson a number of days in the past, is borne out of malice and deep animosity towards political actors in Bayelsa West Senatorial District, together with Gov. Douye Diri, perceived to be standing towards his bid to return to the Nigerian Senate for the third time period.”
Ambakederimo pronounced the brand new celebration “lifeless on arrival” as there was no place for it in Bayelsa’s political area.
He pressured its promoters don’t have any justifiable purpose for its formation.
His phrases, “The NDC is lifeless on arrival in Bayelsa State, and even throughout the bigger area. The NDC could have no place in Bayelsa’s political area as there are not any justifiable causes given for the formation of the group however a transparent design to distract governance within the state, alter the peace the state is at present having fun with and pitch Bayelsans towards each other.”
Political observers are satisfied that the 2027 election shall be a litmus check of ex-Gov Seriake Dickson’s grip on energy within the oil-rich state.
Previous to his public defection, Senator Dickson had strategic conferences with a number of curiosity {groups} inside Bayelsa and the broader Nigerian public, together with a former Labour Celebration (LP) presidential candidate within the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, and a number of other politicians from Bayelsa, particularly these from Bayelsa West ( the place he hails) and East.
He had additionally met with leaders of Bayelsa West, led by the PDP caucus chairman, Hon Fyneman Wilson, Dr Osusu and Hon Ball Oyarede.
The ex-governor, it was learnt, additionally engaged the Protem Chairman of Bayelsa NDC, Hon Dauprebo Ikuromo, and members of the interim government council, together with Dr Pabara Igwele (state deputy chairman), Hon Tesufa Alex Dumbo (State Secretary) and Prince Mac-Ake (Publicity Secretary).
Moreover, he has had the help of the previous Commissioner for Finance in Bayelsa, Prof. Opuala Charles, and Chief Williams, each from Nembe in Bayelsa East.
Dickson, whereas disclosing particulars of the assembly on his verified Fb web page, acknowledged that he enjoined all of the political leaders from Bayelsa to brace themselves for the brand new problem.
“I enjoined them to place of their absolute best to construct a robust, grassroots-based celebration and motion that can give our folks a voice and a face in a peaceable and non-violent method, with efficient grassroots connection and mobilisation, which is my political fashion.”
Persevering with, “I additional enjoined them to propagate the beliefs and imaginative and prescient of the celebration and to take action in a non-violent, respectful and first rate method to all, as we’re all brothers and sisters who’ve been compelled by circumstances to be on totally different platforms, and that’s regular in a multiparty democracy. I name for collaboration and help for all of them and the varied groups that shall be arrange throughout all of the wards and LGAs in Bayelsa State.”
In keeping with sources, Dickson had made deliberate makes an attempt to poach politicians who had defected to the APC from the PDP in Bayelsa State, together with those that served beneath him, however had been sidelined by the Douye Diri-led administration.
Additionally anticipated to defect en masse are kinsmen of late Deputy Gov Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, a protege of the federal legislator, who, regardless of strain, refused to defect to the APC along with his principal, Gov Diri.
One other group that Dickson could doubtless courtroom is the remaining PDP state legislators who refused to defect with Gov Diri.
Amongst them are Hon. Knowledge Fafi, representing Kolokuma/Opokuma Constituency 11, Bayelsa Central (PDP); Dr Onyinke, representing Sagbama Constituency 1 (PDP); Ted Elemefuro, representing Yenagoa Central (PDP). These lawmakers are nonetheless PDP members in an APC-dominated Bayelsa State Home of Meeting.
It was learnt that cellphone calls have been made to a number of politicians within the state to dump the APC with gives to them for tickets to contest the following elections.
The Nation gathered that the newly elected Bayelsa APC Chairman, Hon. Warman Ogoriba, has taken pressing steps to thrust back the opposition NDC’s plot to lure a few of his members away from the celebration.
Talking to the State and Native Authorities Coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA), led by Chief Tiwei Orunimighe, lately, Ogoriba acknowledged that the celebration beneath him and the management of the governor, Senator Douye Diri, would guarantee they conduct rancour-free main elections, which might be consistent with the consensus of stakeholders.
In keeping with him, opposition events, together with the newly registered NDC, would wait in useless for an implosion of the APC within the state.
His phrases, “We’re working an open-door coverage and have began visiting stakeholders to make sure that the fold of the celebration just isn’t open to acrimony. These within the opposition dreaming that there can be an implosion inside the APC earlier than they’ll survive shall be disillusioned.”
The Nation gathered that since his emergence, Ogoriba has reached out to Chief David Lyon and the celebration’s operating mate within the 2023 governorship election, Chief Joshua Maclver, as a part of peace-building efforts to consolidate the concord within the celebration.
With the formation of the state government council, NDC seems prepared to start the duty of mobilising members throughout the state.
Bayelsa Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Prince Mac Ake, in a phone interview, mentioned the celebration had achieved a big milestone of over one million Nigerians who’ve registered on-line as members of the NDC.
He attributed the celebration’s acceptance by Nigerians to the celebration’s grassroots-driven mannequin, including that the celebration will spring a shock on the subsequent legislative elections.
His phrases, ” NDC is constructed on ideology. It has come to create a steadiness within the political area. NDC is barely a month previous, however we now have seen a excessive acceptance by most people. As I converse to you, we now have over one million voters in lower than ten days.”
Mac Ake predicted an implosion of the ruling celebration, stressing that the NDC will revenue from the implosion that can end in an exodus into the NDC.
His phrases, ” the APC will implode, and once they implode, that’s how you’ll now see how the NDC is made up of fine characters that might win the following state and federal legislative elections.”
For the NDC, Bayelsa West, a Dickson stronghold, the federal legislator, given his grassroots help from the Sagbama/Ekeremo axis, is predicted to win. Some other end result will imply the previous governor has misplaced his attract to voters.
The NDC is populated by allies of the federal legislator, together with Senator Moses Cleopas, the celebration’s Nationwide Chairman, a staunch Dickson loyalist, who served as Bayelsa PDP chairman throughout ex-Gov Dickson’s administration and represented Bayelsa Central in 2020 within the Senate.
The NDC is predicted to make little impression within the subsequent elections, due largely to the ruling celebration’s entrenched nature in Bayelsa politics, typified in its mature administration of the congresses that culminated within the election of members into ward, native authorities and state government positions.
Regardless of NDC’s claims of widespread acceptance, can the celebration muster at brief discover the {financial} and manpower assets required to win an election in Bayelsa? Solely time will inform.