Ex-Bayelsa Rep Slams Dickson, Defends Tinubu’s Democratic Legacy

Former member of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa State, Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli, has tackled the former governor of the state and senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, over his Democracy Day outburst, questioning President Bola Tinubu’s democratic credentials.

In a statement yesterday titled “The Hypocrisy of Henry Seriake Dickson—A Supposed Democrat with an Undemocratic Legacy,” Sunny-Goli declared that Dickson’s criticism of President Tinubu’s interventions in Rivers State rings hollow, considering his own troubling legacy in Bayelsa State during his eight years as governor.

Sunny-Goli noted that he was shocked and astonished when he read the outburst of Senator Dickson during the democracy day, questioning the democratic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said, “Dickson’s tenure as governor was marked by a blatant disregard for democratic principles, earning him a reputation as one of the most undemocratic leaders in the history of Bayelsa State. His administration institutionalized oppression, stifled opposition voices, and exhibited an unparalleled aversion to democratic norms. Dickson’s government made political persecution a state policy, targeting opposition figures through fabricated allegations.”

He also recalled the harrowing experience of the present managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku and himself under Dickson’s administration in Bayelsa.

Sunny-Goli stated that Ogbuku and he were falsely accused of murder and extrajudicially targeted for killing or imprisonment. While he escaped being arrested, Ogbuku was not lucky as he was indiscriminately put in prison custody for months.

“Dickson falsely accused me and  Samuel Ogbuku of murder, weaponising state machinery to crush dissent. The systematic suppression of opposing voices defined his leadership, ensuring that political rivals were either side-lined or silenced.

“Following the unceremonious end of the administration in which I served as the Special Adviser on Youths to then-Governor Timipre Sylva in 2012, Dickson outrightly withheld my severance payment, along with those of other appointees who served under that administration.

“In 2015, while serving as a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly representing Brass Constituency 1, I faced an unjust denial of my constitutional entitlements as directed by Dickson”, he said.

On the Rivers crisis, the former lawmaker commended President Bola Tinubu for his quick and practical intervention, describing the president as a steadfast advocate for constitutional governance.

“He has demonstrated exemplary leadership, particularly in his intervention in the Rivers State crisis. Even Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the key figure in the conflict, has expressed appreciation for the President’s decisive action. Yet, Dickson appears determined to insert himself unnecessarily into the discourse.”