Defection: Diri, Others Fleeing from Crisis They Created — Dickson …Backs Nomination of Amupitan as INEC Chairman

By Iyojo Ameh

Following the defection of Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) has criticized the move, accusing the governor and other defectors of running away from the mess they created.

Reacting to Diri’s defection shortly after Wednesday’s Senate plenary, Senator Dickson also expressed support for the nomination of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He revealed that Governor Diri had consulted him several times before dumping the PDP but said he was never convinced, insisting there was no compelling reason for such a move, especially by a second-term governor.

According to Dickson, Nigeria, as a plural society, needs a functional multiparty democracy and not a one-party system that breeds dictatorship and authoritarianism.

He said, “I am where I have always been. I don’t believe Nigeria should be a one-party state. As a soldier of democracy, I’m used to the ups and downs of political life and remain steadfast in the Peoples Democratic Party, working with my colleagues to resolve the party’s internal issues.”

He lamented that those who created problems within the PDP were now abandoning the party, saying their actions have made Nigeria’s democracy look ridiculous.

“Those who should have shown leadership are the same people now running away after creating the mess. It’s very sad and makes our democracy appear weak. We don’t even know what they are running from or what is chasing them, but whatever it is, it undermines our multiparty democracy,” he said.

The senator maintained that Nigeria’s plural nature can only thrive under a multiparty democratic system. He emphasized that since leaving office, he had refrained from playing godfather, making no demands from his successor but remaining available for consultations.

“The governor consulted me several times, to his credit, but I wasn’t convinced. There’s no justifiable reason for a second-term governor to defect,” Dickson said.

Reaffirming his loyalty to the PDP, he said, “I remain in the PDP that gave the Ijaw Nation and Niger Delta people the opportunity to produce a Vice President, an Acting President, and a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The other party cannot offer that. If we don’t succeed in saving the PDP, we’ll take a collective decision—but certainly not to join the ruling party. Democracy without opposition ceases to be democracy.”

On the nomination of Professor Amupitan, Dickson commended President Bola Tinubu’s choice, describing it as a commendable one.

“I will be casting my vote and supporting the nomination. As a member of the Electoral Committee and the Senate, I will work with colleagues to ensure that the electoral reforms we are pushing see the light of day, and that Professor Amupitan is confirmed as INEC Chairman. We expect him, as a Professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria—the first to be so nominated—to understand the historic responsibility before him,” Dickson added.