What Does Gov Dickson Want?

Eddy Odivwri

The words of late Professor Chinua Achebe will ever ring true. Once, he advised that those who have their palm kernel cracked for them by benevolent spirit should not forget to be grateful. Governor Seriake Dickson is one such person whose palm kernels were cracked for him by benign spirits.

As the fourth democratically elected governor, Dickson, 53, is privileged to have been the only governor who came to power with parliamentary experience having been elected into the Federal House of Representatives between 2007 and 2012.

He, till date, remains the youngest elected governor of the state. But he appears to be the biggest, what with his Goliath gait.

Beside the above, Gov Dickson is also lucky to have been the only governor, democratically elected, that will serve out his two terms of four years each. None other before him, had this privilege. The first elected governor, late Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha got impeached early in his second term. His successor, then Governor Goodluck Jonathan got elected as the Vice President in 2005 and so moved over to the centre. He was succeeded by Timipre Sylva in 2008. The latter became heady to the powers made him and he was thus denied the ticket for a second term.

That was how Dickson moved over to Creek Haven, the seat of government in Bayelsa State in 2012. Although he had been challenged , Dickson had remained rooted and lucky in the political mathematics of the state.

Right now, he is preparing to pack out of Creek Havens early next year when his tenure as governor will statutorily end.

As is common with Nigeria politicians, he is scheming deeply not only to produce or procure his successor, he is also desperate to remain politically relevant by wanting to go back to federal parliament, this time, to the Senate.

Perhaps even more vaunting is his ambition to enthrone himself as the political capon of Bayelsa politics, in total affront to the person, status and caliber of former President Goodluck Jonathan. In simple terms, he is striving to displace Jonathan as the political godfather of Bayelsa State.

Already, his political machine, called Restoration Team, seems to be revving at high keel, having everything going for it. That caucus recently (September 3) produced the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, even though the outcome of that primaries is being challenged in court of law by one of the aspirants. The election is slated for November this year.

Last general election, his headiness made the party to lose a senatorial seat to the APC as he (Dickson) refused to agree with former President Jonathan on who to fly the PDP’s senatorial ticket in that senatorial district.

Dickson imposed his own candidate and in protest, the people of the district voted for the APC candidate. And the bulky governor did not or has not learnt any lesson, prompting many to ask what exactly he wants.

This is the same Dickson who Jonathan sacrificed Sylva for. Now the falcon cannot hear the falconer, and things are about falling apart.

Dickson has practically become cocky and self-conceited, supposing to be his own man. He forgets that the butterfly is not exactly a bird.

It is curious how politicians, especially state governors, are desperate to produce their successors. What are they hiding? Why are they desperate? It smells of something fishy. Perhaps it is not peculiar to politicians. Maybe all African leaders. I recall how former military president, Gen Ibrahim Babangda played the political chess game with the leadership that will succeed him. He once boasted that “we don’t know those who will succeed us, but we know those who will not.”

At the end of the day, he could not control the dynamics that emerged. And till date, he yet carries the ill badge of that scheme, perhaps till death.

So back to Gov Dickson, he is set to not only manipulate the system to produce his successor, he is scheming hard to withdraw the senator representing his senatorial district in the Red chamber, Senator Lawrence Eghrudjakpor and make him the running mate of the governorship candidate of his party, so he can go replace the Urhobo man in Ijawland. Everything is all about him, even if it means upturning a running arrangement. His narrow interest must be preserved and projected. All else in the state little matter. What is a better definition of selfishness!

Listening to an audio recording of Gov Dickson, before the primaries, you have the feeling of a man who tries to play God. He speaks with an attitude of “you have no choice”. It reeks of arrogance and boastful nature.

He presents himself and his plots like that of a Deus ex machina: one who can do everything. Can somebody tell the Toru-Orua born politician that he is not God.

By his plan, he intends to pull two senators out of the Red Chamber at the same time, so he can have and control a political fiefdom, where he would hold and control all the aces.

He would realize, from experiences of other politicians, that it is easier planned than executed or sustained.

Perhaps it should worry Gov Dickson that his followers and supporters are not happy with him. Many of them are threatening mass defection to the rival All Progressives Congress (APC). In fact, one of his aides, Helen Bob was so pissed by the crude political antics of Gov Dickson that she had openly pitched tent with the APC. And Gov Dickson had to sack her.

The governor had boasted that he is not fazed by the gale of defections, claiming that he experienced worse defections in 2015 when he contested against the present Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, as APC candidate at the time.

Dickson should be reminded that the parameters this time are different. He muscled his way through using the powers and appurtenances of an incumbent in 2015. This time, he won’t be on the ballot. Somebody else will be. The dynamics are not exactly the same. He should stop the Machiavellian exploit.