Governorship Primary That May Shatter PDP In Bayelsa

As the people of Bayelsa State await the outcome of the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) slated for September 3, 2019, there are indications that vital issues raised by some stakeholders and aspirants alike, if not properly addressed before and after the exercise, might definitely cost the party the state it has been ruling since 1999.

With the recent splitting of the PDP governorship aspirants into two factions, one led by Governor Seriake Dickson, called ‘Restoration Caucus’ and another said to be loyal to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, ‘Non Restoration Caucus members’, it appears that the party in the state is heading to make the mistake the All Progressives Congress (APC) made in Rivers and Zamfara states during the 2019 election, where courts barred the party from fielding candidates for electives positions.

Governor Seriake Dickson has never hidden his readiness to support his preferred candidate to emerge as the next governor of the state. Recently, the governor was quoted as saying that he will not support anybody outside his ‘Restoration caucus’ preferred candidate, meaning that if the party gives the ticket to anybody outside ‘Restoration caucus’, the governor may not be ready to support the party during the November 16 governorship election.

Last weekend’s wards and local governments congresses held to elect three ad-hoc delegates from each ward and one delegate per local government to form part of the electorate to the September 3 primary was allegedly characterized by irregularities.

Stakeholders believe that if the present near crisis situation is not addressed by the party hierarchy, PDP might lose Bayelsa State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) who may likely come to the November 16 election as a united house.

Also, Dickson’s affront on former President Goodluck Jonathan, who many Bayelsans and Ijaw people hold in very high esteem, may dwindle the chances of PDP, if the party leadership allows Dickson to have his way, without Jonathan’s endorsement.

Just like what happened in Bayelsa East senatorial district and some federal constituencies during the 2019 election, Restoration caucus members were forced on the party, leading to the victory of APC even in Jonathan’s senatorial district because the people felt it was an act of insubordination for Dickson to hijack the party structure even in the former president’s home.

PDP chieftain, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe, while leading a protest to the state party office in Yenagoa to express his displeasure over the processes leading to the conduct of the ward congress last Friday by Governor David Umahi-led committee, accused the restoration caucus of manipulating the list for the congress.

According to Orunimighe, the processes for the conduct of the PDP congress known to the party constitution was not followed, but advantage was given to Governor Dickson’s political family, ‘The Restoration Caucus’, saying such action poses a very big danger to internal democracy and fortunes of the party in the state. Former Chairman of Sagbama local government area of the state, Mr. Banarbas Edure, accused the party executives of presenting a fictitious list of electoral officers to the electoral committee.

Also, Chief Timi Alaibe campaign organisation, in a statement claimed its candidate did not have access to the list of electoral officers presented by the party to conduct the ad-hoc delegate election. The statement issued by the Administrative Secretary of the Campaign Organisation, Professor Seiyefa Brisibe, disclosed that ‘every effort by aspirants to examine the names on the list which could have led to objections were thwarted by the leadership of the party in the state which he accused of working for the restoration team.

Governor Seriake Dickson, while inaugurating the restoration caucus campaign committee recently at the Government House, had insisted that he would not support any candidate outside the restoration group of the party to become the next governor of the state.

He stressed that his upbringing and values which place emphasis on the reward for the sacrifice of loyalty and steadfastness would not allow him to turn his back on those who stood by him as leader of the party in the state. He also hinged his decision to support a restoration aspirant on the imperative of continuity, effective service delivery, and commitment of restoration caucus to the socio economic growth of the state.

Those in the governor’s list include his former Secretary to the State Government, Kemela Okara; Chairman of the state internal revenue board, Nimibofa Ayawei; Senator representing Bayelsa Central, Douye Diri and his ex-Chief of staff, Talford Ongolo.

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