Dickson accuses Diri of betraying Bayelsa, says Governor handed state to APC

Former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has accused his successor, Governor Douye Diri, of handing over the state’s political structure to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a party he claimed had never won an election in Bayelsa.

Dickson made the allegation in a statement following his homecoming to the state over the weekend, where the newly established Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) state secretariat was commissioned.

The National Leader of the NDC described Diri’s decision to defect to the APC as an act of “donating” Bayelsa to a party that, according to him, had never secured victory in the state through the ballot.

He said he had deliberately avoided making extensive comments on political developments in Bayelsa to prevent unnecessary tension and maintain peace in the state.

He, however, declared that the time had come to make his political position clear, accusing Diri of abandoning the political structure that nurtured and supported his emergence as governor.

He said: “Every single one of the people in the current government was nurtured and supported for years by me.”

The former governor recalled 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.

Diri won’t respond — Aide
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 faults Dickson’s remarks
Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on General Duties, Miriki Ebikibina,

described Dickson’s comment as unfortunate, urging the former governor to exercise restraint and uphold the dignity expected of a former chief executive of the state and a serving senator.

He questioned the propriety of Senator Dickson’s remarks, considering the political support and opportunities he received from former President Goodluck Jonathan, including his appointments as a commissioner and Attorney-General, as well as his emergence as a member of the House of Representatives and later as governor of Bayelsa State.

Ebikibina also recalled the political circumstances surrounding Dickson’s emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, claiming that party stakeholders, including former President Jonathan and King A.J. Turner, played significant roles in securing his candidacy and electoral victory.

He called on Senator Dickson and the NDC to emulate the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, whom he described as having focused his campaign on issues rather than personal attacks.

According to Ebikibina, “the Diri administration’s achievements reflect purposeful leadership and effective governance. Political disagreements should not overshadow constructive engagement on issues affecting the state.”

Obi to Tinubu: You’re tired, quit 2027 race
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress ,NDC, Peter Obi, has asked President Bola Tinubu to abandon his re-election bid in 2027, declaring that Nigeria needs a leader with the energy and capacity to tackle the country’s worsening economic and security challenges.

Obi, who urged Tinubu to retire from the presidential race and return home to rest, said Nigerians could no longer afford leadership that, in his view, lacked the drive to confront the country’s mounting problems.

The former Anambra State governor spoke on Friday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during the commissioning of the NDC campaign office and secretariat.

He accused the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government of failing to address widespread poverty, hunger, unemployment, insecurity, poor healthcare and inadequate electricity supply.

He said millions of Nigerians could no longer afford basic necessities, while access to quality healthcare, education and employment remained a major challenge.

Taking a direct swipe at Tinubu’s second-term ambition, Obi said, “The man is tired. He needs to go home. Tinubu must go and rest. We want him to go and rest.

“Today, we have a country that produces the highest number of poor people in the world. Today, we have a country where our people are hungry. Nigerians don’t know where the next meal will come from.”

He lamented that the collapse of public healthcare had forced some Nigerians to resort to spiritual interventions instead of seeking medical attention, while poor educational infrastructure and unemployment continued to undermine the country’s development.

Outlining his party’s agenda, Obi said an NDC government would prioritise national unity, security, domestic production, accountability and job creation.

“We are telling you that NDC is coming to build a new Nigeria that is possible. We want to move Nigeria from consumption to production. We will start by uniting the country,” he said.

He pledged to strengthen public institutions, tackle insecurity and guarantee equal opportunities for Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or geographical backgrounds.

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