Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa) has accused some governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including his successor in Bayelsa State, of abandoning the crisis they created within the party and defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Dickson made the remarks while reacting to reports that Governor Douye Diri and some political leaders in Bayelsa had defected to the ruling APC. Speaking with journalists after Wednesday’s plenary session at the National Assembly, the former Bayelsa governor maintained that he remains steadfast in the PDP and would continue to work for the party’s reform.
“I am where I have always been. I don’t believe Nigeria should be a one-party state. As a soldier of democracy, I understand the ups and downs of political life, and I remain as constant as the northern star,” Dickson said.
He criticized the PDP leadership and some governors for, in his words, “creating a mess and then running away from it,” adding that their actions ridicule Nigeria’s democracy.
“The governors and members of the leadership who created the problems in our party are the ones now bailing out after refusing to solve them. It’s very sad. It makes our democracy look ridiculous and undermines our multi-party system,” he lamented.
Dickson emphasized that he believes strongly in a plural democratic system where multiple parties can thrive, insisting that democracy without opposition is meaningless.
“A plural Nigeria can only flourish under a plural democratic environment,” he stated.
Speaking specifically about Bayelsa politics, Dickson clarified that since leaving office, he has not played the role of a political godfather and has avoided interfering in the affairs of his successor’s administration.
“Since I left office, I have made no demands, issued no pressures, and only offered advice when consulted. Governor Diri has sought my views several times, and to his credit, I’ve always responded. But I was not convinced there was any justifiable reason for a second-term governor to defect,” he said.
The senator reaffirmed his loyalty to the PDP, recalling the party’s contributions to the political advancement of the Niger Delta and the Ijaw nation.
“The PDP gave the Niger Delta people the opportunity to produce a vice president, an acting president, and a president. The other party cannot do that. I stand with the PDP, and even if the party fails to recover, I will still be part of a collective opposition, because democracy without opposition is no democracy,” he added.
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