Discordant tunes in Bayelsa PDP over poll
positions on succession. Correspondent MIKE ODIEGWU writes on the politics of nomination in the ruling party.
Their relationship went sour, shortly after Dickson’s emergence. Dr. Jonathan allowed forces from his office, backed by his wife, Patience, to persecute the governor. People watched Dickson as he battled presidential forces, who were bent on frustrating him with a plot to impeach him and stop him from completing his first term.
Though some party leaders criticised him for not allowing aspirants loyal to Jonathan to win the PDP primary, Dickson remained unruffled, believing that his survival after leaving office depended on the disposition of incumbent office holders in the state. The governor was also said to have acted in preparation for the forthcoming governorship election.
But, Dickson knows that the battle to completely stop Jonathan’s influence in choosing the PDP pair for the election will not be a tea party. Already, most of the big names indicating interests the ticket have strong ties with the former President. They also possess the political muscles to operate from the camp of Jonathan to frustrate Dickson’s ambitions.
But, others in the party insisted that with the kind of grip Dickson has on the PDP structure, any attempt by the national leadership to work with Jonathan, instead of Dickson, would portend danger to the PDP.Zoning is one of the factors that will be considered in selecting the PDP flag bearer. The Bayelsa Central comprising Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma-Opokuma local government areas has presented the strongest case.
Besides, Ogbia only had a short stint at the governorship in the past. Jonathan only completed the tenure of the late Alamieyeiseigha and he was immediately elevated to the position of the Vice-President. Nembe and Brass local government areas in the same East District with Ogbia are not making any strong case for the PDP flag. Nembe still occupies the deputy governorship seat while Brass occupied the position through former Governor Timipre Sylva, who is now the leader of the APC in Bayelsa.
Kolokuma-Opokuma has the least voter population of 52, 780 in the entire state. Others are Ogbia 109,966, Ekeremor 125, 189; Nembe 92,717; Sagbama 109,460 and Brass 67,894. Therefore, voter population may determine which local government area the PDP ticket will be zoned to in a preferred senatorial district.Many prominent politicians have indicated interest. Some of them have strong ties with former President Jonathan.He is the son of a prominent scholar, Prof. Kimse Okoko.
Okoko said: “Bayelsa as a whole needs to focus on education. Mental poverty is worse than financial poverty. If a mind is not developed and equipped, a man cannot give what he does not have.The Principal as he is fondly called has become a recurrent decimal at the buildup of each governorship election in Bayelsa. Alaibe, who hails from Kolokuma-Opokuma, the local government area with the least voter population was a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission .
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