FRANCIS AGBO and OSA OKHOMINA inYenagoa write on the reconciliatory moves by Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State for the 2012 polls.
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According to watchers of Bayelsa State politics, the emergence of Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship flag bearer of the state symbolises a paradigm shift. First, Dickson is the first person from Bayelsa West comprising Sagbama / Ekeremor ever in history to emerge as PDP governorship candidate. The senatorial zone, analysts reckon is the most marginalised in the scheme of things. It is against this background that Dickson’s candidature received the blessing of a cross section of PDP heavy weights favourably disposed to power rotation in the riverine state.
But the manner in which the party handled the incumbent governor, Timipre Silva shrouded Dickson’s emergence in avoidable controversy. The thinking in many quarters was that the PDP needn’t to disqualify Sylva at the time because if they had allowed him to contest, he wouldn’t have won the primary election since majority of the delegates were not controlled by him.
A party chieftain puts it more succinctly. ‘‘Disqualifying Sylva was unnecessary because at the time of the primary election, he had lost grip of the delegates that constituted the electoral college. If the party had allowed him to run, he would have lost and he wouldn’t have had the locus to approach the court. But removing Sylva from the Creek Haven (government house) was good riddance to bad rubbish because he has become an electoral deficit to the PDP.’’
Dickson had swept the November 19 primary election by polling 365 votes. The votes were as follows: Kolokuma/Opokuma-43 votes, Brass-31, Ekeremor-47,Ogbia 44,Sagbame 51,Southern Ijaw-61 and Nembe-41.
The declaration of Dickson as winner was greeted with wild jubilation in Yenagoa and the creeks. In his acceptance speech, Dickson said the work for a new Bayelsa has kick-started with the decision of the delegates to hand him their votes and asked the people to support the new path to development and progress in the state by electing him in the 2012 governorship election.
Dickson’s victory over seven other aspirants of the party was not without drama. Three aspirants including Chief Christopher Enai, Mr. Bolobo Orufa and Mr. Autin Febo protested. The Primary Election Electoral Committee Panel led by the Minister for Police Affairs, Cabel Olubolade tried to no avail to assuage them. While the three aggrieved aspirants staged a walk out before the commencement of voting, Chief Francis Doukpolagh voted and left before the counting of the result of the poll by the panel.
Since the November 19 primary, the candidate and his campaign organisation tagged: Restoration Team 2012 have been working round the clock to calm frayed nerves. This move has reportedly yielded positive results as prominent aspirants like Chief Timi Alaibe and Ben Murray Bruce have reportedly caught the Dickson fever. LEADERSHIP gathered that Alaibe is slated to head Dickson’s campaign while Bruce will chair the investment committee. Dickson was reported to be holding meetings with the unyielding aspirants at press time.?
To further drive the truce train, a group known as Bayelsa Elders Forum was recently inaugurated in Yenagoa. The body which is headed by former governor of the state, DSP Alamiesiegha has been holding nocturnal meetings on the future of? the state. This group, Bayelsa youth council and several organisations have been drumming up support for Dickson. In a communiqué signed last month by the elders and published as advertorials in the local newspapers, the elders said they were in support of Dickson because of his integrity and track record of service to Ijaw nation. The elders called on Nigerians to discard the insinuation that he is being sponsored by President Googluck Jonathan.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP on the matter, Alameiseigha said the president is a fair and objective man and wondered why Sylva’s camp accuses him of bias. ”Why would President Jonathan pitch his tent with anyone? He is too mighty and people should not reduce the office of the President.”
The immediate past chairman of the PDP, Chief Rufus Abadi told leadership that those involved in the claim that the hand of the President is behind the victory of Dickson are bad losers.”? He said they failed because they know they are not popular. Five past chairmen of the PDP pitched their tent with Dickson because we believe in him. Politics is a game. Sometimes you win and sometimes you loose.”
Though Sylva has refused to accept the candidature of Dickson but the PDP apparatchik is mounting pressure on him to drop his ambition of running for governor. In addition, the party wants him to drop his suit against it and in return, the PDD and the presidency will give him a soft landing. However, the question on the lips of Nigerians is whether the falcon will ever hear the falconer?
Meanwhile the PDP has submitted the name of Dickson and his running mate, a retired Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah to the Independent National Electoral Commission. The submission which took place yesterday according to party sources was in compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act 2011 which states that political parties must submit lists of candidates to INEC within 60 days to the election.
If Dickson wins the February 12, 2012 polls, he will be the third member of the House of Representatives since 1999 to be governor. The first was Benue State Governor, Hon. Gabriel Suswam and his Zamfara State counterpart, Alhaji Abdullaziz Yari.