Mike Odiegwu in Yenagoa captures the intrigues in Bayelsa State as Senator Douye Diri and Lawrence Ewrujakpor were inaugurated as governor and deputy governor
Both in geography and population, Bayelsa is not such a big state. But the small oil-rich state is constantly in the news for big political upheavals. Recent political events have again put the state of former President Goodluck Jonathan on the spotlight.
Just a few hours to February 14, if anybody had told Chief David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he would not be sworn-in as the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, on the Valentine Day, he would have laughed it off as a comic relief and labeled the person a jester.
Lyon and his Deputy Governor-elect, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, were ready. In fact, the entire APC family in the state was prepared to assume the governance of Bayelsa. Everything was set. All the hotels in Yenagoa, the capital city, were fully booked by guests, who arrived earlier from different parts of the world to wait for the D-Day. Residents were in high spirits as they waited for the inauguration.
Indeed, the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, the venue where the event was scheduled to hold had been decorated in the colours and flags of the APC. On February 13, Lyon and his deputy inspected the venue. They also rehearsed their inauguration parade.
President Muhammadu Buhari was billed to attend the ceremony. APC leaders were happy that the President, who rarely attends such events, had decided to honour them with his presence. Some of them, including the state leadership of the party, had put out paid messages welcoming the President to Bayelsa.
But Buhari would never come because all their expectations were dashed by the Supreme Court. The court altered the political calculations in Bayelsa. It sacked Lyon and Degi. The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-man panel of justices led by Justice Mary Odili, said Degi-Eremienyo presented false information to INEC.
The court held that the Form CF 001 Degi submitted to INEC contained false information of fundamental nature. The court in the judgement, delivered by Justice Ejembi Eko, affirmed the November 12, 2019, judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja that earlier disqualified Degi.
The court held that since Degi shared a joint ticket with Lyon, his disqualification, nullified their nomination by the APC and their eventual emergence as governor and deputy governor-elect. The court ordered INEC to immediately withdraw the Certificate of Return it earlier issued to them, and issue a fresh one to the party that secured the second-highest number of lawful votes and got the required constitutional spread at the election.
The judgement erased the excitement at the camp of the APC, triggered chain reactions and mixed feelings in the oil-rich state. It destabilised APC leaders and forced them into many emergency meetings. Lyon was dazed and Sylva was thrown off balance by the surprised judgment, which hit the state like a thunderbolt.
But the camp of the PDP was thrown into wild jubilation. Hundreds of PDP loyalists and leaders thronged the Government House dancing in celebration. They rolled out their drums in jubilation.
While Dickson insisted that his candidate, Senator Douye Diri, would be inaugurated as the new Governor of the state. Lyon warned against inaugurating Diri as the state governor saying he did not meet the constitutionally electoral requirements for inauguration as directed by the court.
Reacting to the judgement of the court in a special valedictory live media chat, Dickson faulted the position of the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiohmole, on the judgement.
He said: “The court has decided and I don’t think the national chairman of the APC is competent to seek an appeal over the decisions of the Supreme Court.
“The last time I checked, the rules the judgement of the Supreme Court is final and that is what we have now. Any other issue is a question of interpretation and opinion. My candidate will be sworn in tomorrow (today).
Dickson, however, called for calm and warned against tendencies that could lead to breakdown of law and order in the state. He said the judgement was victory for democracy and all Bayelsans across party lines and called on the opposition leaders to rein in their supporters.
He said: “You can’t have a state if you don’t have peace and stability. But once the matter has been decided one way or the other, as law-abiding people, you show understanding, rein in your supporters, explain to people and live to fight another day.
“That is what we do as politicians. I will like to congratulate all Bayelsans. We are actually waiting for the court position to be taken for me to invite anybody that win even if it is David Lyon to interact with me. We have programme lined up. We have done everything to ensure smooth transition.
“But now that the Supreme Court has decided otherwise. I call for everyone to take it in good faith and live to fight another day. No breakdown of law and order. No incitement.
“I believe that processes will be put in place to ensure that people will be carried along as much as possible. Those who have issues I am sure the incoming governor will say a thing or two about that. We have always run an inclusive government.
“And I believe that his own will be no different. My take is actually to say that all of us have won. Even for those celebrating; is not to spite anybody. We have all won as a people and all of us should manage this process because the court has decided”.
But Lyon, who spoke through a member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Preye Oseke, described the judgement as shocking and procured. He said the APC and the people of Bayelsa totally rejected the judgement and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to issue Certificate of Return to Diri.
Oseke argued that even based on the pronouncement of the court, Diri was not qualified to be sworn-in as he failed to meet the constitutionally required geographical spread in the election.
He said: “As a people and party, we are rejecting the judgement completely. It is a procured judgement. While we have our respect for our revered justices, we believe that this is not the wish of Bayelsans.
“We are calling on INEC not to issue Certificate of Return to the candidate of the PDP because the candidate of the PDP was unable to score the required 25 per cent in the two third of the local government areas.
“As a party, we are law abiding. Our properties had been destroyed even in the midst of the judgement. But we are calling on all our party supporters to remain calm while our leaders, stakeholders meet and come up with the next line of action. We believe that the right thing will be done and the rule of law will be upheld”.
Diri issued Certificate of Return
The disagrrements notwithstanding, INEC complied with the judgement of the court after a stormy meeting. The commission issued a Certificate of Return to Diri in Abuja. The decision sparked violent protests in Yenagoa as youths, women set bonfires. They blocked major roads and vandalized properties including buildings. The protesters attempted to burn public buildings and secretariat of the PDP in the state. Dickson’s private house in Opolo was not spared. Vehicles parked in the compound were torched.
But by Friday afternoon, Diri and Ewrujakpor were inaugurated as the governor and the deputy governor of the state in a brief ceremony inside the Government House.
APC’s future in Bayelsa
While some observers said Diri and Ewrujakpor’s inauguration may mark the end of the road for the APC in the state and advised the party to accept the development in good faith, others cautioned that only time will tell. Whatever happens, it is clear that the events surrounding Bayelsa’s last governorship election and the drama that trailed the court battles have helped to make the politics of the South-south state more intriguing and difficult to predict. This is even as APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, faulted INEC’s actions and threatened that the party will go to court to reclaim its mandate.
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