How Goodluck Jonathan taught Dickson a lesson with Bayelsa governorship election

By Etifa Perez Rooney

For those who didn’t follow the buildup to the Bayelsa state governorship elections. Governor Henry Seriake Dickson disrespected Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) and the Bayelsa state elders. They had settled on Ndutimi Alaibe as a consensus candidate to replace Dickson.

Dickson who Goodluck Jonathan brought out from obscure House of Reps and made Governor disrespected GEJ, PEJ and bribed Uche Secondus to have his way in the primaries and impose Senator Douye Diri on the party.

Not only that he disparaged Bayelsa East- Jonathan’s people (Ogbia, Nembe and Brass) as non core Ijaw and traitors. The whole thing has been building up from the senatorial elections which was why APC won GEJ’s Senatorial district in the 2019 polls with his support.

All GEJ’s allies and boys moved to APC as David Lyon is a godson of Patience. Jonathan did not campaign for the APC candidate out of self respect but his kinsmen ensured Dickson was taught a lesson without saying a word. Jonathan’s polling unit, ward and senatorial district all delivered for David Lyon. Wike and Jonathan and their allies all worked for Lyon. Irony of it is Dickson refused o reconcile and make any concessions saying he could win on his own. He was thoroughly defeated.
All politics is local.

In 2012, GEJ used Seriake Dickson to remove Timpre Sylva. In 2019, GEJ and PEJ worked with Sylva to remove Dickson.
The PDP national leadership is an embarrassment. Why would you let the interests of an underperforming governor who wanted to impose a stooge supersede that of the former president and party elders in a state who has shelved their interests to back the strongest candidate in the party Alaibe.

Jonathan could have insisted on any of his loyalists like Amb. Godknows Igali being the candidate but he settled on Alaibe who was formidable and had the support of all. Obasanjo even joined Jonathan to beg Dickson and Secondus to let Alaibe get the ticket. But Dickson wanted his cousin.

Bayelsa people hated Dickson particularly Bayelsa East (Jonathan’s people) who Dickson called non core Ijaw. Core Ijaws are apparently according to Dickson the Sagbama/Ekeremor/Southern Ijaws of Bayelsa and the Bomadi/Burutu/Patani of Delta and as such only them should be in charge of the only Izon state.

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