By Sylvanus Okpe

The conspicuous absence of the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and a leading contender at the Sepetember 3rd PDP guber primaries, Mr Ndutimi Alaibe at the Wednesday PDP mega rally which heralded the party's governorship campaign ahead of the November 16th guber polls, seems to have settled the lingering speculation that all is not well with the Umbrella family in Bayelsa state.

The absence of the two PDP stakeholders at the rally leaves much to be worried about as curious political analysts had wasted no time in drawing the conclusion that little or no efforts have been made to pacify the many nerves that got frayed following the outcome of the Guber primaries in the state.

The outgoing Governor of the state, Hon. Seriake Dickson who had before now, occupied a special seat in the comity of democrats in Nigeria began to arouse doubts as to his credibility and democratic tendencies when he moved to sway the party delegates into settling for a member of the Bayelsa Restoration Team. The Governor was clear in his resolve to handpick his successor from the 8 members of the restoration team who already counted themselves among the 21 candidates that threw in their hats for the battle to fly the party's flag in the November 16th Bayelsa governorship elections. The Governor who later narrowed his choice of successor to two candidates in the ranks of the restoration team namely, the senator representing Bayelsa Central, Mr Douye Diri and the immediate past Secretary to the state government, Bar Kemela Okara, later settled for the little known Senator Douye Diri who hails from the same Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government council area with a grassroots politician in the party who was also a leading contender in the primaries, the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Ndutimi Alaibe.

The outcome of the primaries which returned Senator Douye Diri as the flagbearer of the party became contentious amongst party faithfuls who felt the state Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson failed to consult with his erstwhile political Godfather and benefactor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan before the last minute gimmicks that paved the way for Diri to emerge as the Flagbearer of the party.

PDP stalwarts and analysts who are in the know as to how Dr Jonathan changed the tides in favour of Hon Dickson who was a member of the house of reps during the PDP guber primaries in 2012 protested the perceived efforts of Dickson in relegating Dr Jonathan to political oblivion in the state. This prompted not a few loyalists and kinsmen of the former President to disassociate themselves from the political dispensation of Hon Dickson. The first person to publicly protest the unfavourable treatment of Dr Goodluck Jonathan was the Former Special Adviser on Power Development to the Governor, Mr Michael Ogiasa who immediately resigned his appointment with the state government.

While the political unrest generated by the primaries raged on, the Governor worsened the situation by orchestrating the appointment of another PDP serving Senator, Mr Lawrence Ewrudjiakpo who represents Bayelsa West Senatorial district at the Nigerian Senate as the PDP deputy Governorship candidate. This further plunged the party into turmoil as many PDP stakeholders viewed the actions of the Governor as a desperate move to pave way for his ascendancy into the Senate at the expiration of his tenure in few weeks to come. This speculation could not be brushed aside as the Governor who hails from Bayelsa West would stand a chance to push his political career back to the National Assembly in the event that INEC conducts a bye election when the outcome of the election favours the PDP.

So many party faithfuls have also questioned the rationale behind the Governor's removal of the only two Senators of the PDP from the Nigerian Senate thereby making their positions susceptible to a possible take over by the waxing opposition should a bye election be conducted. Many stakeholders reasoned that the party ought to have sealed that font and sought for fresh party men to occupy the Governorship and deputy governorship positions of the party.

The discontent in the party is enough to negatively affect the fortunes of the party in the November 16th guber polls. Analysts opined that Jonathan might be gentle but not a political neophyte, insisting that his political block and wide acceptability across every strata of the state will play an inestimable role in who succeds Dickson as the governor of the state.

The rally at Yenogoa yesterday also brought to question, the effectiveness of the Dr Bukola Saraki led reconciliation committee of the party. So many political onlookers who were abreast with the political development in the state, questioned the efficacy of the peace committee.

Nditimi Alaibe's political acceptability in the state would also play a significant role in granting the party victory and his obvious indifference to the party's campaigns has been described by a commentator as injurious to the party's desired electoral success.

The absence of PDP governors particularly of the South-South region at the conference even as Hon Dickson still holds sway as the Chairman of PDP Governors forum has been interpreted by many analysts as a direct protest of the demeaning treatment Dr Jonathan was subjected to by the Governor.

It has torn the party apart albeit supporters of the state governor are unwavered in their belief that the Governor’s popularity and grassroots touch will count in their favour as November 16th draws closer.

Sylvanus Okpe is a columnist and the Political Editor of TheNigerian News. He can be reached on sylvaike479@gmail.com

https://thenigerian.news/jonathans-conspicuous-absence-from-bayelsa-pdp-mega-rally-and-matters-arising/

There problem

If you ignore me when you were paying bride price, why should I bother about attending your wedding?

Mark my words: If PDP retains Bayelsa State, Sen. Douye Diri as governor will team up with the same Goodluck Jonathan to fight Seriake Dickson. It predictably happens in every state but out-going governors continue to repeat the same mistake. They refuse to learn.