Related Post
All is set for governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and all is getting set for the governor to be impeached.
Either way, what would happen this week will reflect how the situation is managed by parties on both trenches.
Diri was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. However, governor Diri is being opposed by many National Assembly members in Bayelsa including his immediate predecessor and backer, Senator Seriake Dickson.
In readiness for the defection, tentatively billed for Tuesday, October 14, the National Working Committee, NWC, of the APC, led by the National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has mapped out plans to formally receive and welcome Diri into their fold.
In Bayelsa, sources say that Diri’s defection, has been on the cards for months.
“Diri would have joined APC earlier than now but for the animosity within the leadership of the Bayelsa APC, especially by the group loyal to Chief Timipre Sylva, former Governor and minister of Petroleum Resources.”
Also, OpenLife earlier gathered that Diri has consulted former President Goodluck Jonathan, and some Bayelsa State elders before deciding to dump the PDP, and that he has the backing of the majority of the members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to defect to the APC.
But, Diri’s defection plan is being opposed by the majority of the National Assembly members on the ground that there is no compelling reason to defect to the APC.
Two Senators -the senator representing Bayelsa West, Henry Seriake Dickson and Benson Agadaga, three House of Representatives members out of five, namely Fred Agbedi (Sagbama/ Ekeremor), Maria Ebikake (Nembe/Brass) and Mietama Obordor (Ogbia) are not going to defect with Diri to the APC
Nevertheless, associates of the governor said he had made up his mind.
Coming after this are fresh plans to impeach the governor should he defect.
Those in this camp, according to credible sources, feel that former President Jonathan’s proposed contest for the presidency in 2027 on PDP platform is a strong factor for governor Diri to “trash” his decamping plans.
Speaking to OpenLife Monday morning, a former Reps member said “ If governor Duoye Diri goes ahead to decamp to APC at this time Jonathan is consulting to contest election in 2027, we will make sure he is impeached by the House of Assembly members. We have the numbers and we will make it happen.”
It would be recalled that following ruling by the court for Diri to be issued a certificate of return, which would make him governor-elect, he was, on Friday, 14 February 2020, sworn in as the governor of Bayelsa State.
Mr Diri took over from Seriake Dickson who finished his tenure after eight years in office.
Mr Diri was declared winner of the November 16 2019 governorship election following the annulment of the victory of the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), David Lyon, by the Supreme Court.
A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Mary Odili sacked Mr Lyon on the grounds that his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, presented false information to the electoral commission, INEC.
The apex court in the judgment delivered by Ejembi Eko consequently ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Messrs Lyon and Degi-Eremienyo.
The judge also ordered that INEC should immediately declare the party with the highest number of lawful votes and geographical spread.
The INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, on Friday, formally declared Mr Diri winner of the polls. He said the decision was in compliance with the apex court’s decision.
Subsequently, the INEC commissioner for the South-South, May Agbamuche, presented the certificate of return to Mr Diri and his deputy.
In his remarks at the inauguration, Mr Diri thanked INEC and the Supreme Court.
He said, “The court is the last hope for the common man. We pray and hope that God will heal our land, Bayelsa State, and Nigeria.
“For us, God has taken us through a winding road. And it had taught us lessons of reconciliations and lesson of love.”
