TONY OLUTOMIWA
The tempo of political activities is stepping up in Bayelsa State. In anticipation of the party primaries, those aspiring to be governor are making waves across the state and especially in Yenagoa, the state capital.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the governorship election in the state will hold on November 16. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primary holds on September 3 and that of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is August 29.
For obvious reasons, the PDP appears to have the biggest attraction in the race to succeed the incumbent, Governor Seriake Dickson, in part because of its long dominance in the state and the belief among its adherents that Bayelsa State is a PDP state and as such, prospective candidates are strategically aligning with the ruling party.
However, this does not mean that the APC is not making its presence felt, going by the result of the last general election where it made noticeable impact by winning a senate, two House of Representatives and four House of Assembly seats. This is significant in contrast to past electoral performances even as the PDP has continued to dispute the victories.
Interestingly, the PDP has a huge number of aspirants, currently put at about 15 compared to the APC which has only three recognisable contenders, including the former governor, Timipre Sylva, the immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and the rookie, Preye Aganaba. But close watchers of the state politics believe the sole ticket is between Sylva and Lokpobiri as major contenders.
It is noted that there are other fringe parties too but they are not visible in activities, signaling, like in the previous elections, that the battle for the Creek Haven, the seat of government in the state, is clearly between the PDP and APC.
Just as we have in the APC, many of those aspiring on the platform of the PDP are relatively upstarts in political reckoning and how far they could probably go in their quest for the ticket remains suspect but politicians everywhere are incurable optimists. Besides, political aspiration is all about passion and possibilities.
Thus, in the main, the following are the notable names in the PDP firmament ahead of the primaries.
Reuben Okoya: A veteran of Bayelsa politics, Reuben Okoya attempted to contest in the 2015 governorship election which the incumbent governor won. A native of Ekpetiama clan in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state, Okoya is a foremost architect and philanthropist. He is an ally of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who once served as a commissioner in the state and later appointed as the Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council. He is a brilliant man many believe is suitable for the job and with the war chest to prosecute a gubernatorial run. Yet the question remains if Okoya has the political structure to make his ambition a reality.
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Timi Alaibe: The man, Ndutimi Alaibe, needs no introduction in Bayelsa politics. He is a household name, who has contested the governorship election three times. He is from Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state. Alaibe attempted to contest the PDP ticket with the late former governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in 2002. He also contested against Jonathan and ran unsuccessfully against Sylva in 2015. Alaibe, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is an alumnus of Rivers State University of Science and Technology and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. He is a former banker and financial expert. His experience, goodwill and deep pocket are believed to be his strong points.
However, coming from the Central Senatorial District, which has already produced the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Tonye Isenah, there are those who believe both key positions can hardly be allotted to the same district which may determine his aspiration. Yet the clamour that the Central should produce the governor for the first time continues to echo.
Ambassador Bolade Godknows Igali: Ambassador Igali is an associate of former President Jonathan. He served under him as Secretary to the State Government when Jonathan was the state governor. He also made him Permanent Secretary as president. He was Nigeria’s ambassador to the Scandinavian countries. He is from Enewan in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state. Many regard him as experienced and thus suitable to govern the state if he could get the ticket.
Kenebi Okoko: Okoko represents a new generation of young and talented political players in the state. He is from Obungha in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state. Okoko is a product of the University of Port Harcourt, Carton University and Harvard University.
He talks as someone who understands the rudiments of governance and believes he has the answers to the greater development of Bayelsa State.
Okoko is an oil magnate who has the required resources to run a successful campaign but doubtful if he has the structure to pick the sole ticket. Though he came into politics in 2007, he has not been able to build a formidable structure like the typical politicians.
Erepamo Osaisai: The suave and urbane Dr. Osaisai hails from Kolokuma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. He is a thorough technocrat, who was a former Director-General of the National Atomic Energy Commission, NAEC. He was Deputy Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government and was elected senator representing Bayelsa Central in the 1998 election conducted during the Abacha years. And in 1999, he was appointed Commissioner for Works. Osaisai is well respected among the elite formation in the state that sees him as fitting for the job. But like Alaibe, he is from a district which has the speaker though there is a surging call for his zone to produce the governor as a matter of equity. Unlike Alaibe, Dr. Osaisai may not have the deep pocket to run a gubernatorial race.
Steve Ereboh: Ereboh, who was a former Majority Leader in the state House of Assembly, is from Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government. He was Alamieyeseigha’s protégé and grassroots politician. He is a young man who is showcasing talent and passion to serve his people but may be limited by the challenge of resources and the necessary political structure to run in such a competitive race.
Benson Kombowei: Kombowei is the immediate past Speaker of the state House of Assembly. He was in the house from 2007 till he exited few months ago to contest for a federal seat which he lost to the APC candidate. He is a lawyer and an ally of Governor Dickson. He is from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
Hon. Fred Agbedi: Currently a member of the House of Representatives, where he is serving for the third term, Agbedi is former Chairman of PDP in the state and former Political Adviser to Governor Dickson. He served as the Director-General of the PDP governorship campaigns in the last two election cycles. He is a grassroots politician, reputed as tactician but his chances in the crowded field of aspirants remain to be seen. He hails from Aghoro in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state. Agbedi is a product of both University of Port Harcourt and University of Abuja.
Kemela Okara: Okara, a lawyer, is from Bumoundi in Yenagoa Local Government Area. He is the Secretary to the State Government. He was the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in 2012 and contested against Dickson in that election. He was later appointed the Commissioner for Trade and Investment before his elevation as the Secretary to the State Government. He is a thorough intellectual who is also seen as experienced to be governor. But many think he is too elitist to function in a political environment as we have in the state without having a running battle with the traditional politicians. Okara graduated from the University of Middlesex, England.
Senator Douye Diri: Diri is from Sampou in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area. He is a former member of the House of Representatives, and was recently elected senator representing Bayelsa Central. He is an alumnus of the University of Port Harcourt. He was the former Organising Secretary of Ijaw National Congress, INC, and was appointed Commissioner for Youths and Sports when Jonathan was the governor. Diri had also served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House and Principal Executive Secretary to Governor Dickson. Diri shares the same Central zone with Alaibe and Osaisai.
Rt. Hon. Talfold Ongolo: The former Speaker of the old Rivers State, Ongolo’s entrance into the race speaks to his experience and political acumen. He was one of the key men who worked closely with the late Alamieyeseigha as governor of the state. Ongolo served as the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in that era.
He has also been close to power since Governor Dickson came on board and currently serves as Chief of Staff. His strategic links in and out of government are not in doubt. He is from Southern Ijaw Local Government.
One common trait in the aspirations of Kombowei, Agbedi, Okara, Diri and Ongolo is that they are Dickson’s protégés. It is still a conjecture if any of them would clinch the ticket.
However, a striking thing happened late last Sunday when the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Feynman Wilson, through a statement, said that the Restoration Caucus of the PDP had held a meeting where a decision was taken that the trio of Okara, Diri and Ongolo, having appeared before the caucus to indicate their interest to contest the governorship election, had been approved to go ahead to procure nomination forms.
“After the three days of fasting and prayers organised by the state government to seek the face of God in the process of selecting the party’s candidate for the next gubernatorial election, the Restoration caucus met and decided that the process for the selection of candidates has started.
“So far three people have indicated interest in collecting the party’s form and presented themselves to the caucus,” Wilson stated.
Although the statement clarified that other members of the Restoration team who are interested in the race could also participate in the nomination process and who “would be required to present themselves to the party and the Restoration caucus for necessary engagement after procuring the form”, observers believe the development was a pointer to the direction the caucus would go. It is also believed to be a confirmation of the governor’s avowal that his successor would come from within the Restoration team.
Okara, Diri and Ongolo are known associates of Governor Dickson, who had worked closely with him over time and who understand the Restoration governance philosophy as well as the policies and programmes and could carry on where the governor stops. It is a good thing for the sake of continuity.
But some informed analysts also reckoned that the action of the caucus by announcing the names of these three individuals was only used to test the waters and feel the pulse of the people, whose reactions following the announcement were mixed. In effect, the search for the party’s candidate within the Restoration team may have continued.
Perhaps to validate this assumption and be sure the process is democratic and to allay any fears of favouritism in the selection process, Governor Dickson, in a statement, further clarified days later that the contest for governor was open to all members of the Restoration team. He insisted that the party’s candidate would be a member of the Restoration team as he called on Bayelsans to make dispassionate assessment of the aspirants regarding who to back in the primaries.
“The Restoration Team is inclined to support a candidate from the Restoration Caucus of the PDP for the governorship ticket because of the imperative of continuity and stability in governance.
“It is on the basis of this that any member of the Restoration Team who has an ambition is called upon to pick the form. The caucus shall make all the necessary arrangements for consultations within the Restoration Caucus of the PDP before taking a final decision on who to support,” he said.
He added that adequate mechanism had been put in place to get feedback from the citizens in addition to wide consultations within the party and the entire state.
One thing that is clear though is that whoever emerges as the candidate will necessarily have the support of the Restoration Caucus which is headed by Dickson himself. The caucus is the PDP bulwark, the influential enforcer of party supremacy.
The caucus as indicated in Wilson’s statement has over 80 percent of the party structure which will ultimately decide the outcome of the primaries.
Unlike the PDP, the opposition APC does not have the baggage of such high number of aspirants to contend with, which nonetheless does not suggest the party could have an easy primaries to pick its candidate.
The fear now as informed watchers of the party observed is that history may repeat itself, in which case, the party would have to show extreme discipline in order to avoid the 2015 scenario where the party’s primary was embroiled in so much controversy due to its alleged flawed process. The issue is the two heavyweights in the person of Sylva and Lokpobiri, who will be slugging it out at the primary election.
Timipre Sylva: Being a former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva comes into the race with name recognition and political clout. He is from Brass Local Government Area of the state. Sylva started out in politics in his 20s when he became a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly. He has since climbed the ladder of political progress but the trajectory has also been with mixed fortunes. Since his exit from the Creek House in 2011, he has tried unsuccessfully to make desired impact in the last two election cycles. There are those who think Sylva, having contested twice should now give way to others in his party, by remaining a father figure and leader of the party but politics could be addictive.
Although he has not formally declared interest to run, however, his ambition is not in doubt. Despite his travails and controversies surrounding his politics and persona, Sylva is still a politician to reckon with in the state.
Sylva is the leader of the APC in Bayelsa State, a position he has used to greater advantage and will likely work in his favour at the primaries. He is an alumnus of the University of Port Harcourt.
Heineken Lokpobiri: The immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri is an ambitious politician who is experienced with grassroots orientation. He is from Ekeremor in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state. He was elected as a member of the state House of Assembly in 1999, where he also became the speaker. Lokpobiri, a lawyer, was later elected senator representing Bayelsa West between 2007 and 2015. He has been a minister till the Buhari administration’s first term ended recently.
At his declaration for governor last week, Lokpobiri enunciated his leadership ideals for the development of Bayelsa State, saying he was on a rescue mission. He also used the occasion to call for a free and fair primary election in his party.
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He sounded confident that he would pick the APC ticket, stating that he was looking beyond the primary but the actual general election.
Whether he could prevail over Sylva or not in such an election remains in the womb of time.
Preye Aganaba: Chief Preye Aganaba is an Abuja based businessman who would be contesting against the duo of Sylva and Lokpobiri. Aside his Kimisese Mass Movement, a political body campaigning for his aspiration, he does not have the structure to go far in the race. At best, he’s a rookie, though he has the resources to fund his aspiration.
Evidently, both Sylva and Lokpobiri are tested in governance and politics, making either of them possible opponent of the PDP candidate at the general election. But the challenge would be who between them would become the APC flagbearer as they seem individually determined to pick the sole ticket. Analysts are of the opinion that except reason prevails, APC primaries may end up in turmoil owing to disputes and irreconcilable differences over ambition. Both personalities are similar in strategic thinking and political orientation which poses a threat to collective interest except there is a compromise at the end of the day in a give and take manner.
Though sources hinted last week that Sylva was being considered for ministerial position, it was said that even after such appointment, he would still run for governor.
At his 55th birthday ceremony last week, the various activities of politicians and followers as well as the speeches were more of rehearsals for political campaign. Even after assuring other aspirants that he would not run in 2015, he came into the contest late and still clinched the ticket. The situation may not be different this time owing largely to the fact that in spite of Lokpobiri’s recent rise as a minister, Sylva is in charge of the party structure, a key factor which could be decisive at the primaries.
This is a major issue both Sylva and Lokpobiri should resolve in the interest of their party despite the influence of their supporters who are egging them on to contest amidst a clash of interest. Inevitably this may also have consequences at the general election in November.
For both parties, the contentious zoning consideration could also be a polarising factor ahead of the primaries. Zoning has become a hot topic in recent times across board. While some maintain that it is a necessity for equity, others argue that such consideration had never been the basis for choosing or electing a governor as it is an artificial creation to gain political advantage.
Yet zoning remains an issue in the permutations and jostling to succeed Dickson. While it could be probably resolved within the PDP essentially because of Governor Dickson’s influence and firm grip on the party, the situation in APC is different as it may be used to counter Lokpobiri who is being accused of wanting to take over from Dickson who are both from the same West senatorial zone.