The recent gathering of certain politicians in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Bayelsa State has been linked to the immediate past Governor of the State and Senator representing Bayelsa West at the National Assembly, Henry Seriake Dickson.
The former Governor is believed to be the one funding and sponsoring candidates for the 2023 elections under the SDP.
Speculations are rife that Senator Dickson, is still bitter at the outcome of the primaries of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) where most of his choice aspirants failed to scale through the exercise that was transparently conducted across the State.
In a statement issued in Yenagoa by a group known as “Bayelsa Consultative Initiative and signed by its President, Elder Israel Ebimogha, the group said the plan to seek alternative platform to contest various elective positions in 2023 was allegedly hatched in the Abuja residence of the former Governor.
The Dickson’s loyalists who have left to join SDP include the former Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, former Deputy Chief of Staff, Deputy Governor’s office, Mr. Alex Tesufa Dumbo, former Commissioner, Mr. Bekes Etifa, former Chairman of Brass Local Government Area, Mr. Victor Isaiah, and the latest being a long term political son of Dickson, immediate past Vice- Chairman of Ekeremor Local Government Council, Mr. Randy Awolowo.
Iworiso-Markson, is contesting the Ogbia Federal Constituency seat under SDP, Bekes Etifa for Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency while Victor Isaiah is contesting Nembe/Brass Federal Constituency.
The statement by the group informed that there are other loyalists of the former Governor who have remained in the PDP but would play anti-party role during the campaigns and main election.
The group warns the former Governor not to heat up the political temperature of the State with his underhand movement, saying as governor, he would not have tolerated another top politician weighing such influence to dictate to the incumbent governor.
“We are not unmindful of the relationship between Governor Diri and his immediate predecessor, Senator Dickson. The former governor is pushing too much, sitting in Abuja to remote a system not completely under his control. We are equally watching and seeing the maturity at which the Governor is handling all the issues”, the statement read.
The group noted, “That the anti-party move by Dickson, who is the Bayelsa West Senatorial candidate of the PDP is unfortunate and preposterous.”
“We cannot fathom why a leader of a party will encourage his men to leave the PDP because they didn’t get the tickets in an open and transparent primaries. It is ridiculous that the so-called aggrieved aspirants resolved to either go to court or join another political party and in this case, the SDP.”
“Incumbent Senator Moses Cleopas of Bayelsa Central who lost his ticket to the former Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Konbowei Friday Benson and Hon. Jonathan Obuebite, who lost the Nembe/Brass ticket of the PDP to Mrs. Marie Ebikake are in court challenging the primaries”
“These are distractions and totally unnecessary. We call on elders of the PDP in the State to call Dickson to order”, the group warned.”
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