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Dickson’s fatal ambition that left PDP in tatters in Bayelsa

Dickson’s fatal ambition that left PDP in tatters in Bayelsa

Many reasons have been adduced for the defeat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday, November 16, governorship election in Bayelsa State.

Bayelsa, until that day, was a core PDP state and since its creation, this is the first time another political party has won the governorship election in the place.

The events that unfolded before the gubernatorial election had indicated a serious division in the ranks of the ruling party in the state.

Political watchers who are conversant with Bayelsa politics have adduced that the woeful loss of PDP is not unconnected with the overstretched political ambition of Governor Seriake Dickson. Some others said the ousting of PDP was a deliberate display of the grievances of the people of the state over the misgovernance of the incumbent government.

Until now, the opposition APC had never succeeded in any of its quest to rule the state. The party, it was gathered, knew very well that it lacked political structures to dislodge the PDP.

While Dickson boasted over the touted invincibility of the PDP, he was at the same time working for its demystification.

“This state is unshakably PDP. Anybody who wants to contest an election, let me put you on notice, the only platform that can win an election in this state under my leadership is the PDP. Which election will be tougher than the one we won with me as candidate? “We will lead the party to win all elections in the state, God willing,” the governor had said.

On another occasion, while speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja, he yet again, boasted: “In Bayelsa State, PDP is the largest, biggest and the most formidable political platform. Compared to the other side which didn’t have the luxury of having a credible primary; a candidate was brought out from the pocket of the leader of the party; a candidate that is not sellable; a candidate that we all know can’t govern. So, for us, the election is already won. Won by us and lost on the other side.”

However, there are also some insinuations that the turn of events in Bayelsa could be linked to the alleged unhappiness of former President Goodluck Jonathan who, was said to have been infuriated due to his reported undermining by Governor Dickson.

It was said that Jonathan simply turned the table to for those who took his political simplicity for granted to learn a bitter lesson. Although since the political campaigns, Jonathan was not seen to have worked against his party and Dickson.

But it was alleged that the outgoing Governor Dickson, in his personal desire to plant a successor and at the same time secure senatorial ticket, had hijacked the PDP’s structures and in the bid sidelined the former president and his allies.

Also, it was said that Dickson singlehandedly picked the party’s candidate and at the same time tampered with the long-standing zoning arrangement among the three senatorial zones in the state.

This, apart from party stakeholders who are ardently loyal to Jonathan, wife of the former president was obviously peeved by the Dickson’s disposition of disloyalty and was said to have worked in favour of the APC candidate.

Dickson was said to have been brazen in his ambition. His game plan, it was gathered, was to contest the by-election that would have held, to replace Douye Diri in the Senate, had Diri won the gubernatorial election. For this reason, he ensured that a more popular Timi Alaibe, a former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) did not emerge as the PDP standard bearer.

Although the outcome of the party’s gubernatorial primary did not go down well with the people, Dickson carried along as if all was well.

A politician, who spoke with BDSUNDAY on condition of anonymity, said that what transpired in Bayelsa was more of “protest votes” against Dickson and not against the PDP.

“Let me say this for record purposes, the people of Bayelsa State did not vote against the PDP because they are tired of the party, no. What happened was that Governor Dickson elevated himself to a level that he no longer respects anybody, including Jonathan that made him governor. He shabbily treated the former president to the point that many people became angry. Dickson systematically sidelined everybody that had any link with Jonathan,” the politician said.

According to him, “What happened on the election day was a no confidence vote in Dickson. Anybody else could have won the election, but Diri. The people just needed a change. So, it was not as if the APC worked for the victory. Despite the huge money and the collaboration of the Federal agencies, if a person like Alaibe had represented the PDP, Bayelsans would have sacrificed their last pint of blood to resist the APC.”

The Minister of State for Petroleum and former Bayelsa governor, Timipre Sylva’s factor was also strong point that crippled chances of PDP.

It was speculated that the former president and his wife, alongside his loyalists covertly supported the APC candidate, David Lyon.

The politician further said: “Selfishness is the thing that destroys most politicians. Only a few politicians are selfless. For instance, Jonathan could have insisted on any of his loyalists like Igali being the candidate, but he settled for Timi Alaibe who was formidable and had the support of all. He knew that Alaibe’s candidature would excite Bayelsans, but Dickson would not hear. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo even joined Jonathan to beg Dickson and PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus to let Alaibe get the ticket. But Dickson wanted his cousin, Diri.”

Bayelsa people hated Dickson, particularly Bayelsa East (Jonathan’s people) who Dickson called “non-core Ijaw.” Core Ijaws are apparently according to Dickson, the Sagbama/Ekeremor/Southern Ijaws of Bayelsa and the Bomadi/Burutu/Patani of Delta and as such only them should be in charge.

By Dickson’s calculations, if he allowed Alaibe as governorship candidate of the PDP, it would have blocked his ambition of moving to the Senate.

The loss of PDP was not surprising to many people who have followed the downward plunge of the party since its acrimonious primary that threw up Diri. Many PDP stakeholders, especially those that are loyal to Jonathan, had defected to other political parties, particularly the APC.

Some of the defectors include Michael Ogiasa, special adviser to Governor Dickson on power development; Senator NimiAmange and Robert AjalaEnugha, immediate past chairman of the Environmental Sanitation Board under Seriake Dickson administration.

Immediately after their defection, they quickly shifted their loyalty and strongly worked for the APC candidate, Lyon.

Analysts say that the support of Lyon by Jonathan, his wife and loyalists became established when the former president’s mother had, during one of Lyon’s visits to Otuoke, openly prayed and prophesied that he (Lyon) would win the Bayelsa gubernatorial election.

A former special adviser on media to Bayelsa State Governor Dickson, now member of the House of Representatives, Francis Agbo (Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency), when contacted for comment on developments in Bayelsa State, simply said: “I don’t want to speak on the matter for now because the election was marred by massive rigging but I will grant an elaborate interview on the matter very soon.”

An Abuja-based activist and PDP sympathiser, Samson Adebayo told our correspondent in an interview that “for those who didn’t follow the buildup to the Bayelsa elections, Dickson disrespected GEJ and Bayelsa elders. They had settled on Alaibe as a consensus candidate to replace Dickson.

“Dickson, who Jonathan brought out of obscure House of Representatives and made governor disrespected GEJ and his wife, Patience, and bribed Secondus to have his way in the primary and imposed his cousin Diri on the party.

“Not only that he disparaged Bayelsa East- Jonathan’s people (Ogbia, Nembe and Brass) as non-core Ijaw and traitors, the whole thing has been building from senatorial elections which was why APC won GEJ’s Senatorial district in the 2019 polls with his support.

“All GEJ’s allies and boys moved to APC and David Lyon is a godson of Patience. Jonathan did not campaign for the APC candidate like his wife and mother out of self-respect, but his kinsmen ensured Dickson was taught a lesson without saying a word.

“Jonathan’s polling unit, ward and senatorial district all delivered for Lyon. Wike and Jonathan and their allies all worked for Lyon. Irony of it is Dickson refused o reconcile and make any concessions, saying he could win on his own. He was thoroughly defeated.

“The PDP national leadership is an embarrassment. Why would you let the interests of an underperforming governor who wanted to impose a stooge supersede that of a former president and party elders in a state who have shelved their interests to back the strongest candidate in the party,Alaibe,” Adebayo stated.

Addressing journalists on the conduct and outcome of the election, Dickson had blamed the loss on the unprofessional attitude of the security agencies and the INEC who he alleged were used by Timipre Sylva.

He said the APC had pre-written results and pre-determined figures for Nembe, Ogbia and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas and used the military to shield off the returning officers who were all from the University of Benin, the home state of APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

The governor accused Sylva of eroding the integrity of the security forces and dignity of his people, insinuating that the security of the state has been outsourced to him and determines police commissioners that are posted the state numbering about 17 this year.

He also accused APC leaders of using the narrative of disagreement with former President Goodluck Jonathan and Timi Alaibe as “justification for the daylight robbery of our people.”

Defending his relationship with Jonathan who he said remained his leader, Dickson stated: “Let it be known that I and my government have absolute regard and respect for former President Goodluck Jonathan.”

The governor disclosed that prior to the election, he went to Jonathan 16 times, but the former President did not congratulate the PDP governorship candidate, Douye Diri on his emergence as the party candidate even when he also participated in the primary election.

He said the insinuations on the relationship between Jonathan and the APC is not misplaced in reference to the visit of some APC governors to the former President, saying what they did was strategic after they came and took the state by force.

According to him, they “are using his name and image to legitimise what they are doing by taking David Lyon to him” even when they did not call on him as governor and that with the kind of comments they are making, “it is Hallelujah if they are finally embracing him.”

He said Jonathan did not consent to the alleged rigging as his Ogbia kinsmen never voted, but the APC was using him to prepare a window to wash off their hands and drop everything at his doorstep.

Dickson also defended PDP’s choice of candidates for the governorship election, explaining that with what happened, no candidate of the PDP would have won the election, unless such a candidate had a prearrangement with the APC.

 

Solomon Ayado and James Kwen, Abuja