Hours after the governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his predecessor and Bayelsa West Senator, Seriake Dickson, has slammed the move, accusing the successor and other defectors of running away from the mess they created.
Senator Dickson, who was speaking on developments in the polity on Wednesday after Senate plenary, however, threw his weight behind the nomination of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While admitting that Governor Diri had consulted him several times about his plan to dump the PDP, Dickson said he was never convinced, as there was no compelling reason—particularly for a second-term governor—to leave the party on which platform he was elected twice.
According to him, Nigeria, being a plural society deserves a functional and vibrant multiparty democracy, not a one-party state that breeds dictatorship and authoritarianism.
He said: “I am where I have always been. I don’t believe Nigeria should be a one-party state. As a soldier of democracy, I’m used to the ups and downs of political life. I remain as constant as the northern star—steadfast in the Peoples Democratic Party—and working with my colleagues to ensure that the problems in the party are resolved.”
He added: “I hope the governors and leadership of the working committee—who created this mess in our party—realise their role. Rather than showing leadership, they allowed the crisis to persist and are now bailing out after failing or refusing to solve it. It’s very sad. It makes Nigeria look small and our democracy looks ridiculous.
“We don’t know what they are pursuing—or what is pursuing them—but whatever it is, it belittles our democracy and endangers our multiparty system.
“I believe in a multiparty Nigeria. A plural society can only thrive in a plural democratic environment.”
Speaking specifically on the situation in Bayelsa State, Dickson said: “Since I left office and handed over to those who were once members of my team, I have not played the role of a political godfather. I made no demands, no requests, no pressure—only made myself available for consultation and advice.
“In this case, the governor consulted me several times, to his credit, but I wasn’t convinced. I didn’t see any compelling reason for a second-term governor to defect.”
He continued: “I’m standing firm in the PDP—the party that gave my people (the Ijaw Nation) and the Niger Delta the opportunity to produce a vice president, acting president, and even president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The other party cannot do that. I remain with the PDP. If, in the end, we do not succeed in rescuing the party, then any collective decision moving forward should not include joining the ruling party. I believe democracy requires opposition—a democracy without opposition is no democracy at all.”
On the nomination of Professor Joash Amupitan as INEC Chairman, Dickson said President Tinubu made an excellent choice and pledged to fully support his confirmation when screened by the Senate.
He said: “I will cast my vote in support of the nomination. As a member of the Electoral Committee and of the Senate, I will work with colleagues to ensure the electoral reforms we are championing come to fruition and that Professor Amupitan is confirmed.”
“We expect him—as a professor of law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the first SAN to be so nominated—to understand the importance of this moment in history,” Senator Dickson added.
