Zoning Confusion In Bayelsa * Degi, Dickson Set To Return For Record Breaking Second Term As Senators
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John ODHE, Yenagoa
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Bayelsa state can be best described as being in a state of higgledy-piggledy over existing political zoning formulae in the state.
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other stakeholders in the oil rich state seem to have been boxed in a state of fluster over what political observers described as some ‘deadly’ decisions being taken by the leader of the party and governor of the state, Senator Douye Diri concerning zoning arrangements.
Bayelsa West
There is serious bewilderment in Bayelsa West Senatorial District following perceived deviation from the zoning modus operandi between Sagbama and Ekeremor Local Government Areas that make up the senatorial zone.
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Political stakeholders in the district believe that alternative sharing of the Senatorial and House of Representatives seats between the two sister local government areas has come to stay and that any rash alteration to that effect could spell political doom for the district.
This is coming on the heels of the dust being raised by the insistence of the immediate past governor and current member representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Senator Seriake Dickson from Sagbama LGA to re-contest, against the existing zoning arrangement which is now in favour of Ekeremor to produce the next senator.
A major political crisis is said to be fermenting in the region ahead of the 2023 polls following a recent nod allegedly given by the state governor, Senator Douye Diri to his predecessor, Dickson to re-contest, a decision that is being considered by stakeholders as an oppression to the people of Ekeremor after Sagbama has already enjoyed eight years in the senate.
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Dickson, who governed Bayelsa between 2012 and 2019 went to the red chamber in 2020 through a bye-election following the resignation of the then incumbent, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo who is now the deputy governor of the state.
The former governor is being quoted by stakeholders of the region to have agreed on only complete Ewhrudjakpo’s tenure and relinquish the seat to Ekeremor thereafter, in the spirit of the existing zoning arrangement come 2023.
But, Dickson, having tasted from the senatorial pudding, is said to be currently singing a discordant tune that suggests that the Toru-Orua born ‘Ofurumapepe’ still has his throat lingering beyond 2023 in the upper house of the National Assembly.
Already, the erstwhile governor has told those who care to listen that, not him, but his kinsmen from Ekeremor LGA that had raised N10 million and had also purchased his expression of interest and nomination forms for him and were earnestly begging him to re-contest.
Meanwhile, the member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Fred Agbedi, who is a native of Aghoro in Ekeremor LGA had vowed to challenge whoever that would want to scuttle the existing zoning arrangement to the detriment of his local government.
He made his position known penultimate week at his Yenagoa residence when he received senatorial interest and nomination forms which were also bought for him by Sagbama/Ekeremor stakeholders.
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In the interim, it was learnt that Diri recently summoned aspirants in Bayelsa West and other zones in the state to Government House in Yenagoa, the state capital, where he reportedly ordered all PDP aspirants at all levels in Bayelsa West to work for the actualization of Senator Dickson’s second term bid, stating that “we need principal officers in the National Assembly.”
The governor was also reported to have asked Agbedi to be prepared to return to the lower house for the third time, a situation that is interpreted by pundits to have finally electrocuted all zoning arrangements but equally electrified fresh political wrangling in different parts of the state.
Stakeholder Reacts
A political stakeholder in Sagbama local government area of Bayelsa State, Chief Perekeme Richard Kpodoh says people in the area will continue to fight against what he described as “the greedy interest of some politicians to scuttle the brotherly rotational zoning of National Assembly positions between the local government areas of Sagbama and Ekeremor that constitute Bayelsa West Senatorial district”.
Speaking in Yenagoa, Kpodoh berated Diri for allegedly lobbying selected persons from the area with #50,000 each to work for the re-election of Senator Henry Seriake Dickson against the zoning formula that now favours the Ekeremor people to produce the next Senator.
“Governor Diri should understand that his plans to undermine the Sagbama/Ekeremor people is the beginning of the war against his second tenure election.
“Let Diri and Dickson tell us what Dickson attracted to the area when he was member of the House of Representatives and in his current tenure in the Senate,” he said.
Kpodoh warned that the Sagbama/Ekeremor people will join the opposition to revert the political pendulum in the state if Diri, Dickson and the prosperity administration treat their threat with kid gloves.
APC Lays Ambush
The major opposition political party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is said to be taking advantage of the zoning system and the deviation by the PDP to ensure that it clinches the senatorial seat in Bayelsa West.
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To this end, the party has picked its only senatorial aspirant from Ekeremor in the person of the incumbent member representing Ekeremor Constituency 11 in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Wilson Ayakpo knowing that the zoning odds now favour Ekeremor LGA.
The governor is also said to have directed most of the serving state house of assembly members, including second and third timers, to be prepared to return to the state legislature despite the fact that some of their constituencies have existing micro-zoning arrangements between clans and communities.
For instance, there is brewing crisis in Sagbama Constituency 11 following the ambition of its current representative in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Col. Bernard Kenibai (Rtd) to go for a third term as against an existing zoning formula in region.
Stakeholders of the area are of the argument that there is a zoning pact which had existed between Mein and Oyiakiri Clans that made up the Sagbama Constituency 11, pointing out that it was the turn of Mein to produce the next legislator.
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However, Diri is said to have asked Kenibai to go ahead and pick the form for a third term, thereby creating some sort of animosity in the constituency. The same is being recorded in several other places across the state where zoning had existed before now.
Bayelsa East
Although Bayelsa East Senatorial District is believed to be the most tenacious zone in the state on the issue of power sharing, the recent developments on zoning is said to be creating some ripples in the eastern district.
Bayelsa East has been rotating the senatorial seat amongst Brass, Nembe and Ogbia local government areas that form the zone with one tenure each.
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Although it is the turn of Ogbia LGA to produce the next senator come 2023, unconfirmed reports have it that the incumbent Senator representing the district, Senator Eremienyo Biobarakuma-Degi is also warming up to take a second short at the National Assembly following the shaky stance and the confusion hovering around zoning systems in the state.
It was learnt that the wind is now blowing in favour of Dei who is believed to have performed creditably well, to the admiration of stakeholders from the two political parties.
For example, one of the bills he has sponsored, on the establishment of a federal college of education is now awaiting presidential assent. There are people who have also hailed him for attracting a 35 kilometre road to the senatorial district within the period. Even a former president of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan was said to have commended Degi in a Christmas message he sent to him, in appreciation of his representation of the senatorial district. This, some natives believe, may be part of the reasons why Degi may be considered to return to the senate so he could become a ranking member and in return, attract more to the people. But then, there are others who are still pushing for power shift from Nembe to Ogbia.
