There seems to be no let-up in the crisis rocking the Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As the countdown to next year’s governorship election begins, Correspondent MIKE ODIEGWU examines the factors that are likely to shape the poll and why Governor Seriake Dickson may be denied the PDP ticket.
Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson is in the eye of the storm. Chances of his re-election are getting slimmer by the day; not because he has not performed well in the last three years; there are extraneous factors. But, Dickson is not ready to go down without a fight. He is fighting like a wounded lion to remain in the Creek Heaven Government House beyond 2016.
News of the poor relationship between the governor and the immediate past First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, was the first noticeable obstacle against his re-election. The governor, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), emerged through the influence of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The frosty relationship was initially brushed aside as a rumour. Doubting “Thomases” argued that Mrs. Jonathan would never dare work against Dickson, considering that he made her a Permanent Secretary in the state’s civil service, against public opprobrium; a position the erstwhile Governor Timipre Sylva denied her.
But, the truth about the sour relationship between the duo emerged when Mrs. Jonathan resigned her appointment as a Permanent Secretary, apparently to enable her stand on a moral ground to fight the governor. After her resignation, she made clandestine moves through her loyalists to undo the governor. The power tussle between the governor and the former First Lady eventually led to the factionalisation of the party.
Dame Patience has been using one of her loyalists, Weripamowei Dudafa, the former domestic aide to Jonathan, to undermine Dickson’s influence. Dudafa was touted as the one to replace Dickson. Mrs. Jonathan, who continued to pull many stunts, was reported to have hired the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) as a platform to campaign against Dickson. TAN was reorganised. It removed administrators perceived to be loyal to Dickson. They were replaced with key supporters of Mrs. Jonathan. For instance, TAN’s former state Chairman, Mr. Talford Ongolo, a former Speaker in the old Rivers State House of Assembly who is now Dickson’s Chief of Staff, was unceremoniously dismissed and replaced with former Deputy Governor Werinipre Seibarugu, who is an associate of Mrs. Jonathan.
Dickson kicked as TAN acquired an edifice along the Isaac Boro Expressway as its secretariat. In fact, TAN has refused to go away in Bayelsa State, even after Jonathan’s defeat at the presidential poll.
The reason for the rift between Dickson and Jonathan’s wife has not been publicly stated. The woman loathes Dickson’s leadership style, especially his miserly lifestyle even as a governor, sources said.
Moves that widened the cracks
To whittle the influence of Mrs. Jonathan in his administration, Dickson had embarked on what was described as cabinet cleansing. He started removing the traces of the woman in his government by sacking persons linked to her.
In April, last year, the governor sacked seven commissioners. Those booted out include: Mr. Francis Egele, former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Mr. Ayakeme Massa, former Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry and his health counterpart, Dr. Anapurere Michael Awoli.
Others are: Mr. Nelson Belief (Tourism Development); Mr. Gesiye Isowo (Special Duties/Federal Projects); Mr. Parkinson MacManuel (Science, Technology and Manpower Development) and Dr. Sylvanus Abila (Environment). He also asked the former Commissioner for Capital City Development, Mr. Zuwa Konuga, to quit his cabinet and informed the erstwhile Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Mr. James Dugo, that his services were no longer required.
Dickson did not stop there. He continued to weed out persons linked to the former First Lady. For instance, former Commissioner for Local Government, Marie Ebikake, who campaigned vigorously for the governor, and the governor’s Special Adviser on Federal Government Projects, Chief Remi Kuku, were equally sent packing because of their closeness to Mrs. Jonathan.
After Jonathan lost the presidential election, the governor relieved a good number of his aides their appointments. Persons who left the government found succour in the camp of the former First Lady. This has brought a sharp division in the party ahead of the election.
The suspensions
The PDP was further torn apart by the suspensions of key members of the party. Its Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba, was the first to be suspended in controversial circumstances by the State Working Committee (SWC). The development further worsened the bad blood between Dickson and Mrs. Jonathan’s camp.
Inokoba, known as a confidant to former President Jonathan, was accused of financial impropriety. Some observers said he was a victim of grand conspiracy and manoeuvring among persons who have the interest of Dickson at heart. Found to be disloyal to Dickson, the camp of the governor was said to have set a booby trap for Inokoba who naively walked into it.
The N70 million donated by the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, for the presidential rally in the state, was the trap that set off another round of crisis in the party. He was accused by the SWC of diverting N40 million out of the money. Though he denied the allegation, he could not stop his suspension by the SWC.
However, the suspension of Inokoba has generated controversy. The action against him is yet to be upheld by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, as stipulated in the PDP constitution. Therefore, ahead of the election, the party has two factional chairmen, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff in acting capacity and Inokoba.
Though a Federal High Court in Abuja was said to have restrained Inokoba from parading himself as the chairman, Dokubo-Spiff is yet to be recognised by the NWC. This is a dangerous signal ahead of the election. Some analysts say, if the situation remains unresolved and the party goes into a primary election, the national leadership of PDP may recognise a faction led by Inokoba.
But, others argue that Dickson will indisputably have his way because of the enormous power governors wield in the PDP. Besides, they believe that, having lost the central government, the PDP will not want to gamble with their chances in Bayelsa.
As the party was grappling with Inokoba’s puzzle, the governor descended heavily on some bigwigs accused of anti-party activities during the last general elections. The suspected party members were said to have sponsored candidates in other parties to contest elections against the PDP candidates.
Dickson, before inaugurating a committee chaired by his deputy to investigate activities of such persons, spoke about party discipline. He said persons indicted of anti-party activities would be punished adequately.
Nine members of the party known to be key men of the former President and his wife were expelled from the chapter for anti-party activities. Dudafa, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange and former Acting Governor Chief Nestor Binabo were among those expelled.
Others are former Deputy Governor Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, Mr. Chamberlain Kren Ikidi, Mr. Osomkime Blankson, Mr. Emmanuel Okponipre, Mr. Ebikapade Dibiya and Joyce Fouyowei.
Dokubo-Spiff said members of the state executive committee adopted the recommendations of the disciplinary committee in unanimous voice votes. He, however, noted that some of the indicted members, who are in the National Assembly or holding appointments at the national level, would be referred to the national body for further disciplinary measures, in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.
He said the members, including Inokoba, Senator Emmanuel Paulker and Mr. Fiebai Gbeinbo, were suspended for three months. But, he said Mr. Leghemo Kaiser and Mr. Denyabofa Dimaro are to apologise to the leadership of the party, while Dr. Godson Omubo-Dede and Mr. Dan Omubo-Dede were only reprimanded.
Dokubo-Spiff added: “The State Working Committee met after receiving the report and deliberated on it and the State Executive Committee took a unanimous voice vote based on the gravity of the offences and the respective attitudes of the affected members, some were expelled, others suspended while a few others were reprimanded and exonerated.
“It is important to note that, the committee acted responsibly following the tenets of due process. The committee amply publicized the activities and invitations to the affected persons requesting them to turn and state their own side of the story. Some turned up and others were defiant and continued to treat our party with contempt, as a result certain members were expelled from the party.”
This action has further intensified the infighting within the party. Dickson, however, defended it. He stressed that, if indiscipline and disloyalty were not checked among party members, it would affect the party’s survival.
He pointed out that, the situation whereby PDP members campaigned openly for candidates of other political platforms while benefitting from the party would no longer be condoned. Dickson lambasted members, who worked against the party’s interest with impunity in the last elections and called for unity among members.
Dickson said: “You cannot have a situation where party leaders will sponsor candidates on the platform of other political parties to contest for political power and space against our party.
“And they do so with impunity, campaign openly while they are PDP members benefitting from the platform provided by our party. This can no longer be tolerated.
“This is a PDP state, but our party’s strength will wane, if we do not maintain party discipline. We cannot tolerate a situation where a few people consider themselves above the party and do things with impunity without regard for the authorities, just because they are in one leadership position or the other, through the instrumentality of the PDP.”
But, Inokoba fired back. He described the activities of the governor and the disciplinary committee as null and void, accusing the governor of destroying the party. He said the crisis in the party was set off by Dickson to send potential governorship aspirants out of the PDP to enable him emerge as the sole candidate.
He said after his purported suspension, Dickson, out of desperation, went to the Federal High Court in Abuja to enforce the decision without serving him the court notice. Inokoba said he went to court to stop the impunity of the governor, adding that the court gave an order stopping the activities of the disciplinary committee that recommended the expulsion of the party leaders.
But, he noted that Dickson, despite his awareness of the order, asked the committee to ahead and prepare its report. Declaring himself the authentic chairman, Inokoba said he is the only one qualified to set up committees and convene meetings of the party. He berated Dickson for trying to destroy a party he knew nothing about its formation, noting that persons he declared unwanted were the founding members of the party.
He added: “I am calling on the whole world to know that as the truly elected chairman of Bayelsa PDP that I am the only one that can summon any meeting of the executive committee or set up any disciplinary committee.”
Gale of defections
The loss of the Presidency and the crisis in the party has culminated in a gale of defection in the chapter. Founding fathers of the party and associates of former President Jonathan are leaving the party in droves. It was the lawmakers from Jonathan’s Ogbia Local Government Area that were the first to jump ship.
For instance, the lawmakers representing Jonathan’s Bayelsa East District and Ogbia Federal Constituency, Senator Clever Ikisikpo and Hon. Nadu Karibo, dumped the PDP for the APC before the May 29 handover. Also, a member representing the President in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Azibola Omekwe, abandoned the PDP for the APC. They cited internal crisis and hijack of the party as their reasons for defection.
Jonathan had made a belated move, after leaving office, to resolve the crisis, but it amounted to nothing. Some party elders were already angry with the former president for not asserting his authority in the party when he was in power. They say he allowed his former aides and his wife to sow the seed of discord in the party and that he did very little to call them to order.
The week after leaving office, Jonathan had met with party stakeholders in his country home, Otuoke, in his bid to seek solutions to the crisis. But, Jonathan’s wife and key members of her political camp shunned the meeting. They refused to attend the fence-mending meeting because of the presence of Dickson. Members of Dickson’s camp and elders in support of the governor’s second term bid were, however, present at the gathering.
For the PDP to retain the state next year, some elders insisted that the aggrieved members must rally round Jonathan and Dickson. Jonathan also endorsed the second term aspiration of the governor and directed members of the party to support him.
The former President also constituted a three-man committee headed by former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha to reconcile aggrieved groups and individuals. The committee was asked to ensure a united and a more cohesive PDP that will be strong and formidable in all ramifications, to face and subdue the opposition in the state.
The committee, which has also King A. J. Turner and Chief Thompson K. Okorotie as members, was given two weeks to complete its assignment and submit a report to the larger house.
No sooner had Jonathan endorsed Dickson than a group of his kinsmen from Ogbia rose from a crucial meeting and resolved to work against the second term bid of Dickson. The kinsmen, who met under the aegis of Ogbia Joint Initiative (ODJI), disagreed with Jonathan, saying Dickson does not deserve a second term.
Evidence that Jonathan’s intervention and his reconciliation committee achieved nothing came to the fore, following the gale of defections that hit the party. Dr. Jonathan’s close friend and frontline politician, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, recently led some leaders of the PDP and thousands of his supporters to the APC.
Ikiogha, a founding member of the PDP, embraced the broom revolution in an elaborate ceremony at Kpansia open field, Yenagoa. Leaders of the PDP that defected with him are Chief Victor Awala, Mr. Paul Ajuwa, Mrs. D. Irene, Mr. Prince Abeki, a former commissioner, and over 150 former councillors from 1999 to 2012.
Elders divided
The governor is battling with the division his ambition has created among PDP elders. Hitherto, the elders supported Dickson under the aegis of the Bayelsa Development Forum (BDF) headed by a statesman, Chief Thompson Okorotie. But, the elders have since deserted the governor. Some of the elders have pulled out of the BDF; they made it clear that they are not in support of the governor’s second term ambition. Such elders met in Yenagoa recently to map out their strategies to stop the re-election of Dickson.
To actualise their plot against Dickson, the aggrieved party leaders and elders were said to have formed a socio-cultural and political group called Bayelsa Peoples Consultative Assembly (BPCA). A former lawmaker, Senator John Brambayefa, who is from Sagabama, the local government area of Dickson, has been elected as the chairman of the group.
Members of the group took turns to criticise the administration of Dickson, describing it as an era of gloom. They said the present administration has succeeded in making Bayelsa stagnant. They said the time for change has come and hat they have made up their minds to align themselves with a platform that could help them effect the needed change.
Brambayefa said, as a first step towards achieving their aim, a 14-member committee had been set up to work out modalities for them to fully join the APC.
Another elder statesman, Alex Ekiotimin, who was in Dickson’s camp, said they were bothered by what he described as the inhuman polices of the governor. He accused the governor of completely disregarding elders of the state, adding that their decision to join the APC was taking after careful deliberations.
In his reaction, Dickson described the elders as greedy and hypocritical politicians. The governor said in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, that the accusations were misplaced and were only disguised reasons to justify the actions of the body which, he said, was more motivated by greed.
The PDP chapter dismissed the exodus of its members to the APC as insignificant. It, however, described the gale of defection as unfortunate, embarrassing and nauseating. The party said its members and key loyalists of former President Jonathan defecting to the APC are ungrateful to the party that “made them what they are today.” The state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osom Makbere, alleged that the persons leaving the party were part of the viciousness, human rights abuses, arson and other vices that characterised the past government.
He said: “These fellows who actually have no electoral value and whose fibre are also spent are creating the impression that they are moving with supporters. But, they are lonely votes in the wilderness.” He added that the defectors took undue advantage of the loss of PDP at the centre to reposition themselves as APC members to curry favour and attract patronage from the APC leadership. He said it was most shameful and disheartening that persons leaving the party were the key men of the former President.
Makbere said the administration of Dickson has recorded many achievements in key areas of good governance, rule of law, safety of life and property, education, rural electrification construction ad equipment of hospitals. He said: “We are not perturbed by these show of shame because the party ad the government enjoy massive support from within and outside the state. We use this opportunity to appeal to our teaming party supporters ad the general public to remain calm and collected and have unflinching confidence in the government and the party.”
Dickson’s divided cabinet
The governor’s cabinet seems to be divided over his governorship ambition. Some of his aides are holding talks with a leading governorship aspirant in the APC. Serving commissioners and other aides are in league with opposition elements to scuttle the governor’s second term ambition.
The aides attended an anti-Dickson’s meeting convened in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State by the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe. A source who spoke in confidence said Alaibe is determined to clinch the ticket of the APC and that he may make his ambition public in July.
He said: “Timi Alaibe hosted a meeting in Port Harcourt. I have the names of Dickson’s aides who were in attendance. Even people in government are in the opposition. The governor is aware of all the moves by some of his appointees to join forces with his detractors and move against him,” he said.
Therefore, despite the claims of the PDP, observers believe that the internal friction PDP is unhealthy for a party that intends to avoid another round of defeat in the immediate past President’s home state. Allowing heavyweights to depart the party is actually depleting the ranks of the PDP and threatening its chances in he forthcoming poll.
