“DIRI HAS BETRAYED BAYELSA”: DICKSON ACCUSES SUCCESSOR OF HANDING STATE TO APC

Former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has accused his successor, Governor Douye Diri, of surrendering the state to the All Progressives Congress, a party he claims has never won Bayelsa through the ballot.

The accusation was made in a statement following his homecoming to the state over the weekend, which witnessed the commissioning of the NDC state secretariat, ValidViewNetwork reports .

THE ACCUSATION

Dickson, the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, said Diri’s decision to align with the APC amounted to “donating” the state to a party that had never won it at the polls.

“Our victory was donated free of charge to the APC, making all of us overnight opposition members in our own state, in a government we formed, in a governorship I crafted, and an administration we worked hard to put in power,” Dickson said .

He recalled that Diri served as his Executive Secretary, Deputy Chief of Staff, member of the House of Representatives and Senator before succeeding him as governor.

He said his decision to support Diri’s emergence was informed by the need to sustain Ijaw political leadership .

“Every single one of the people in the current government was nurtured and supported for years by me,” he said.

Dickson alleged that his successor had turned against those who supported his political journey, accusing the administration of pettiness, propaganda, blackmail and victimisation .

THE GOVERNOR’S RESPONSE

An aide to Governor Diri, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the governor would not respond to Dickson’s allegations.

“The governor doesn’t want to respond to him. That’s just the truth. Everybody is free to say whatever they want to say. We decided we don’t want to make any issue out of it. We are focused on what we want to do for Bayelsans. Let Bayelsans be the judge. That’s all we care about,” the aide said .

THE REBUTTAL

Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on General Duties, Miriki Ebikibina, described Dickson’s comment as unfortunate and urged him to exercise restraint.

He questioned the propriety of Dickson’s remarks, considering the political support and opportunities he received from former President Goodluck Jonathan, including his appointments as a commissioner and Attorney-General, as well as his emergence as a member of the House of Representatives and later as governor.

Ebikibina called on Dickson and the NDC to emulate the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, whom he described as having focused his campaign on issues rather than personal attacks.

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WHY IT MATTERS

The Dickson-Diri feud is a significant political development in Bayelsa, a state that has traditionally been a PDP stronghold.

Dickson’s decision to align with the NDC and publicly accuse his successor of betraying the state’s political heritage signals a realignment of political forces ahead of 2027.

It also raises questions about Diri’s political future and the stability of the APC’s presence in the South-South.

For now, the governor has chosen silence. But in politics, silence is often a strategy. And Dickson’s allegations will not go away. ValidViewNetwork reports.