PDP govt’s promise for Bayelsans
In a twist of fate, the hope of the All Progressives Congress, APC’s former governor-elect in Bayelsa State, Chief David Lyon, to be sworn in as the fifth governor was shattered last week, following the pronouncement of the Supreme Court.
The apex court nullified Lyon’s election by virtue of his joint ticket with his deputy, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, who was found guilty of being in possession of fraudulent certificates.
In his place, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Douye Diri, was asked to be sworn in by the apex court being the next candidate “who had the highest number of lawful votes cast in the election and who also had the required constitutional geographical spread.”
The ruling of the court has since been complied with as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, immediately issued Certificate of Return to Senator Diri, who has also been sworn in as the new governor of Bayelsa State.
Diri, after his declaration as governor-elect by INEC, said the judgement was an act of God, which had healed the state even as he hailed the judiciary.
The judgement brought to a climax the intrigues and conspiracies in high places and the unwholesome rape of democracy which characterised the November 16, 2019 election.
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It was indeed a puzzling end to the governorship election. Although the election was disputed by the PDP as having been massively rigged by the APC, the Supreme Court judgment lent credence to the flaws in the nation’s democratic process. It was also a vindication of the judiciary as the proverbial last hope of the common man.
From various sources, it was gathered that the APC in the state, working in concert with opposition elements in Abuja, conspired to ensure the state was delivered to the ruling party.
To achieve this political objective, all manner of anti-democratic actions were said to have been taken, which led to the huge manipulations of the election and the violence recorded in many parts of the state during the exercise.
In the process, many lives were lost just as many PDP sympathizers were disenfranchised from exercising their civic rights to vote.
The tension and abuses, which clouded the election was said to have also been heightened by the massive militarization of the entire electoral process and the resultant loud cries by the PDP leadership, which were rebuffed.
A leader of the PDP, who preferred not to be named, while recounting what happened in Ogbia and Nembe, during the election, for instance, said the outcome of the Supreme Court judgement was a divine way of saying that a man’s might would always be nothing when it is used to do evil and committing atrocities, noting that what happened in the last governorship election was a rape of democracy.
“In Ogbia and Nembe, we saw first-hand how brutality was unleashed on PDP members who dared to vote. Of course, many were killed as it was also a public knowledge that APC leaders and members did all in their bid to win the election by at all cost,” he said.
The source also narrated how some elements in the PDP who were supposedly party loyalists, sold out and betrayed former governor, Seriake Dickson during the election.
He recalled how money was given to them for the election, but they ended up pocketing such funds on the understanding that APC would win.
He said that such people also collected money from APC leaders, who were said to have boasted that the election was theirs to lose.
“All the money given to them for mobilisation were not used but pocketed and they colluded with the APC to bite the fingers that fed them,” the source added.
Another source, who is a member of the PDP Central Working Committee (CWC), who also declined to have his name in print told The Nigerian Xpress of how the powers that be sabotaged Governor Dickson by not releasing due statutory funds to the state government after the election, with the intention of releasing such funds to the now sacked David Lyon, when he eventually becomes the new governor in the state.
“You see, a lot happened before and during the last governorship election in Bayelsa State, which is now history but the effect of such abuse of power and inordinate ambition is still with us even if we can say we are consoled by the judgement of the Supreme Court.
“Some specific statutory funds were deliberately denied Bayelsa State because they want to release such funds to Lyon when he becomes the governor. But man proposes but God has the final say,” he said.
Among those who also betrayed Governor Dickson, the source further said, were those who benefited so much from the government but on account of APC’s “dare-devil” approach to the election, they were fed with lies that his political career had come to an end and as such they were co-opted into running him down. They were said to have deserted and ridiculed him as the election was approaching. Such people are already finding their ways back into the party since the Supreme Court judgement.
It was so significant that few days to the proposed inauguration of Lyon, some of Dickson’s appointees mobilised themselves to block the entrance to the Government House, claiming that they were owed some salaries. These were appointees who had served years in the government but who were relieved of their appointments close to the end of the administration.
But the same appointees, according to The Nigerian Xpress findings, are now making moves to come back to the PDP for possible integration into the new government once again.
Political observers have noted that the judgement is a wakeup call on the INEC to be more diligent in its screening methodology. Political parties, it was noted, must also put their acts together with the observation that the various fraudulent certificates of Degi-Eremienyo passed through the layers of the screening committees of the APC up to the national level without detection.
On a broader note, the infractions in the nation’s electoral process also calls for serious rethinking on reforms to guarantee due process, free, fair and credible elections.
And for Senator Douye Diri, his declaration as the new governor of Bayelsa State is a call to duty, which he must carry out in the most effective manner and sense of purpose by making his leadership count and due attention paid to the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
He cannot afford to fail nor falter as the expectations are now very high and indeed so many would be looking forward to see how far he could build on the Dickson legacy in the overall development of the state.
One major issue the new governor must deal with is the concern of the people, especially the youths for empowerment.
Thus the challenge of unemployment should be a cardinal objective of his administration. Aside this, there are the other issues of infrastructure, electricity supply, combating crime and generally making life more abundant for Bayelsans.
Interestingly, the basic foundations had been laid by former Governor Dickson, which he would now have to take farther as the challenge of his leadership now demands. This is imperative, especially by virtue of how he emerged as governor.
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Diri is believed by many as having the capacity to lead and make the expected impact, but the circumstance that surrounds his emergence makes his tenure one that will be regularly scrutinised to see if he’s up to the job.
“It is my hope that Senator Douye Diri will sustain and surpass the quantum leap the state has made in the last eight years,” said Dickson when he lent credence to the leadership quality of the new governor.
In most considerations, Diri will have to respond to the wave of his ascension to power with action, which could actually define and stamp his authority as a worthy successor to Dickson. This is more so, having campaigned on the theme ‘Consolidation for Prosperity’, a step that should have a quick reflection on the wellbeing of the people beyond tokenism as the major areas of concern are tackled with good results.
In this regard, his promises on empowerment through job creation, infrastructure, health, water, sports and taking development to the grassroots should be abiding basis for his evaluation and possible affirmation of a fresh breath in the state’s development trajectory. Of course, he would be measured by his predecessor, who is believed to have performed so well in the last eight years he was in the saddle.
According to the Chairman of the PDP Caucus in the state, Chief TKO Okorotie, the new governor would have no excuse not to perform because he’s well positioned, going by his education, experience and exposure to deliver the goods to the people of Bayelsa State.
Noting that the apex court judgement was a “logical route to righting the wrongs in our democracy”, Okorotie opined that Diri would lead as a governor for all, adding that what is important is how he could solve problems and honour his campaign promises.
He said: “I think the new governor has the requisite education, experience and exposure to make the desired impact and many of us are looking forward to greater development of the state under him.
“You see, he’s not new to governance. He has been there for several years and I believe all these will help him to quickly settle down and do his work. I think he would make the desired impact but will need the cooperation of our people as he also brings everybody together and tackling the issues of development.”
A resident, Ebi Opukiri, told The Nigerian Xpress, that the most important things the people expect from Diri are electricity and crime prevention.
Opukiri, who is an auto mechanic, called on the new governor to also create jobs for the teeming young population.
He, however, said the past method of giving freebies to the people should be discouraged, noting that government should rather come up with economic programmes that can help the youths work with their hands to earn a living.
The next 100 days of Governor Diri will probably unravel his concept of leadership and the extent to which his campaign promises are carried out and indeed how the public will respond to them in changing their socio-economic narratives or otherwise.
He must, therefore, hit the ground running and make a clear impact that can reassure the people that he’s not a fluke contrary to the views of the opposition.