In a sharp rebuke of his successor, former Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson has accused Governor Douye Diri of surrendering the state to the APC, a party he insists has never earned a mandate through the ballot box.
Addressing supporters at the opening of the NDC state secretariat over the weekend, Dickson described Diri’s defecting to the APC as “donating” the political legacy they built together.
Explaining his past silence as a deliberate effort to keep the peace, Dickson declared it was time to take a clear stand against Diri’s betrayal of the political structure that originally paved his way to the governorship.
“Every single one of the people in the current government was nurtured and supported for years by me,” he said recalling that Diri served as his Executive Secretary, Deputy Chief of Staff, member of the House of Representatives and Senator before succeeding him as governor.
Dickson said his decision to support Diri’s emergence was informed by the need to sustain Ijaw political leadership and promote fairness among the different local government areas in Bayelsa.
He alleged that his successor had now turned against those who supported his political journey, accusing the administration of pettiness, propaganda, blackmail and victimisation.
“Our victory was donated free of charge to the APC, making all of us overnight opposition members in our own state, in a government we formed, in a governorship I crafted, and an administration we worked hard to put in power,” he said.
Dickson maintained that the APC had never defeated him or won Bayelsa State at the polls, claiming that his political influence had prevented the party from taking control of the state since 2015.
He expressed disappointment that Diri had aligned with the APC without securing what he described as corresponding benefits for Bayelsa from the Federal Government.
The senator also criticised the Federal Government over what he described as inadequate infrastructure development and insufficient representation of Bayelsa and the Niger Delta in federal appointments.
He, however, urged his supporters to remain peaceful and avoid personal attacks against the governor.
“As I said, children may deny their father, but fathers do not deny children. The governor is still my person, my brother, my compatriot and our governor. But he is now someone I disagree with, as he and the people in his government are wrong with the direction they are taking our state to,” he said.
Meanwhile, an aide to Governor Diri, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the governor would not respond to Dickson’s allegations.
“The governor doesn’t want to respond to him. That’s just the truth. Everybody is free to say whatever they want to say. We decided we don’t want to make any issue out of it. We are focused on what we want to do for Bayelsans. Let Bayelsans be the judge. That’s all we care about,” the aide said.
Miriki Ebikibina, Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on General Duties, has described Senator Seriake Dickson’s comments as unfortunate, urging the former governor to show restraint and maintain the decorum expected of a serving senator and former chief executive.
Ebikibina questioned the propriety of Dickson’s remarks, reminding him of the political patronage he enjoyed from former President Goodluck Jonathan—including his appointments as commissioner and Attorney-General, followed by his election to the House of Representatives and eventually the governorship.
He further pointed out that key political stakeholders, including former President Jonathan and King A.J. Turner, were instrumental in securing Dickson’s governorship candidacy and eventual victory under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Calling for a shift in political discourse, Ebikibina urged Senator Dickson and the NDC to follow the example of NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi by focusing their campaign on key issues rather than launching personal attacks.
“The Diri administration’s achievements reflect purposeful leadership and effective governance. Political disagreements should not overshadow constructive engagement on issues affecting the state,” Ebikibina said.
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