A former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson on Thursday gave indications of his readiness to engage his successor, Senator Douye Diri, in a political fight as he launched his new political party, the National Democratic Congress, NDC.
This came about 24 hours after Diri had spoken of the readiness of the APC to sweep all elective positions in the state in up-coming elections through transparent and popular processes. Dickson who was short of saying he was disappointed in Diri for leaving the PDP to join the APC, recalled how he fought everyone to install him as governor.
Dickson did not what many have interpreted to mean a deep rooted bitterness with the governor, especially whenever he had to speak about the governor and the political journey between them.
Apart from giving signals on how his party will subdue the APC in Bayelsa, he also boasted about how his new party would take over power at the centre, but when he was asked if he would present himself for election as president, to enable him salvage the country, his response was neither a straight yes or no.
What Dickson Did Not Say At The Press Conference
Dickson took time to lament about how painful it was for him to quit the PDP, and how governors of the party were unable to rescue the PDP from a free fall, but did not say why he could not reconcile all the warring interests in the party, despite serving as chairman of the party’s reconciliation committee at different times.
Whereas Dickson spoke at length about his political past and the positions he held, including serving as commissioner, house of representatives member, senator and governor for two terms respectively apparently to underscore his political sagacity and current position as founder and leader of a political party, he did not say what happened to the sea plane project which MOU he signed with Bristow Airline in 2018, for the airlifting of passengers from the Oxbow Lake in Yenagoa, to Lagos and Abuja.
The first and last time the sea plane conveyed anyone and cruised on the river was on February 21, 2018, when the MOU was signed and the demo sea flying done. Nothing happened again after that mega ceremony, which many believed was a mere show that was meant to score cheap political points.
In talking about how much he helped the governor while both of them were in the PDP, he forgot to also say if he stood by Diri after the APC, through David Lyon, defeated the PDP during the 2019 gubernatorial election, before the Supreme Court annulled that victory and eventually brought in Diri as the governor. Dickson did not say if he stood with the governor while the case lasted at the apex court.
Besides, he did not say if he stood by and fought for Diri during the 2023 election that saw Diri return to office for a second term. But he was very clear about how the governor failed to consult him sufficiently before he decided to quit the PDP.
Why Dickson Refused To Join The ADC
The former governor said he refused to join the ADC after he made up his mind to leave the PDP because he was not certain about the party’s agenda. In fact, he said in the near future, the real status of the ADC would be known to the public-whether they were a coalition or a collision.
Dickson, who had earlier praised leaders of the ADC for standing firm to fight a one-party structure in the country, insisted that Nigeria could not be allowed to run with only the APC dictating the way for the country. He said the NDC was floated to make a difference across the country.
He urged his friends and believers in true democracy to identify with his party, ahead of the next general election which he said the party would win convincingly in all parts of the country, including his home state, where he has emerged as leader and where the national chairman, his long time ally and former state chairman of the PDP, also comes from.
