The APC picked up the pieces after a strident power struggle over its Bayelsa State structure and to take the bull by the horns and commissioned its secretariats in the state. Osa Okhomina in Yenagoa reviews the daring step of the opposition party in Jonathan’s home state, ahead the 2015 poll.
After several months of intrigues on the parameters to be used for the setting up of the structures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, the party finally made a daring incursion onto the political landscape of the territory controlled for the last 17 years by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is also the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The arrival of the Party under the interim leadership of a Former Local Government Chairman, Chief Tiwei Orunimigha, implies that the threat by the loyalists of the Former Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva to scuttle the second term Presidential ambition of the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and occupy the Bayelsa Government House in 2016 may have been ignited.
By implication, the struggle for the existing political space in Bayelsa state may be between a solidly backed mandate of the PDP in Governor Seriake Dickson and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan against the self-acclaimed experienced political profile of the former Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva and many of his loyalists.
For the Sylva’s camp and the APC in Bayelsa, however, is the claim of successes recorded in the just concluded membership registration exercise in most parts of the State. The party through its Interim Chairman, Chief Orunimigha is laying claim to the registration of over 40,000 members with highest numbers of membership recorded from Ammassoma, Yenagoa capital and Brass areas of the State.
Orunimigha said over 40,000 persons were registered as members of the party and the figure represents 60 percent of membership projected by the party.
Orunimighe disclosed that most of the gains were recorded in Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Brass local government areas of the state. He also disclosed that at least two prominent ex-militant leaders who accepted amnesty in 2009 and dropped weapons have also registered with the party along with their supporters.
While Brass is the political base of Chief Timipre Sylva, Ammassoma is the base of the Former Governor, Chief D.S.P Alameiseigha and Yenagoa is a neutral political base and seat of Government in the State.
But many Political observers in an opinion sampled in Yenagoa, described the claim of the APC as another political gimmic associated with a party’s claim to space and voters. According to a political analyst, Dr. Yokuro Abasile, the past claims on the possible defection of 11 members of the State House of Assembly and Aides to the State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson have been found to be false and unfounded.
The 24 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Hon. Kombowei Benson had denied the claim that 11 members were planning to defect to the APC in the State.
According to the Bayelsa Assembly members, the claims of impending defection to the APC is fictitious and a figment of the imagination of the author, insisting that they remain loyal to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
The state lawmakers, in a communique issued at the end of an emergency meeting in Yenagoa, declared that no member has considered it an option to defect to the APC and that they are satisfied with the leadership of the PDP in the state and National level.
The communiqué, read in the presence of all members by the Speaker, Hon. Kombowei Benson, sated that “every member of the House of Assembly have resolved to remain steadfast and not allow the fictitious media report distract their commitment and loyalty to the PDP.
“We found the report in a National Daily fictitious, unfounded and fallacious. We are satisfied with the leadership style of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson and the Col. Sam Inokoba leadership of the Party at the State. The fabricators of such report should desist from such unfounded report.”
Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Sam Atake, described it as mischievous and that no member of the Assembly will join the APC due to lack of ideology, “we are united and not bothered by media mind game. The PDP is well grounded in the State and the nation.
But the gathering of Supporters and political foot soldiers of the Former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva at the unveiling of the State Party Secretariat, the State Interim Committee of the Party and the kick-off of the Party registration exercise in the State may have sent out dangerous signal to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Prominent among the Sylva’s foot soldiers present at the occasion, were Sylva’s ex-aides including the Former Chief of Staff, Sam Ogbuku, Former Political Office holders and Former Local Government Council Chairmen of Sagbama and Ekeremor and Former Party Chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and EX-Militant Youths loyal to General Africa Ukparisia.
Also present were National Officers of the Party including the National Officers in charge of the membership registration exercise, Chief Okoi Obono and Mr. A. J Erekosima.
The newly appointed Interim State Chairman of the Party, Chief Runimigha was accompanied to the newly opened Party Secretariat located at the old Relish Building along the Erepa Road area of the Bayelsa capital, by other members including the Organizing Secretary, Joel Tubonimi, the Publicity Secretary, Elder Harrow Zuokomo, Treasurer, David Oweifa, Secretary, Chris Alagoa.
Chief Runimigha, while addressing the crowd of supporters on the membership registration exercise in the State, declared that the ruling PDP is dead in the state and that the membership registration exercise by the APC is targeted at allowing a level playing field for all members to aspire for any position within the Party.
According to him, ”Our former Party, the PDP ,has been taken over by the Oga and Madam at the top. If they don’t like your face, they make life miserable for you. We are happy that the APC has presented us with a platform to play politics again. It will give you and I the opportunity to contest for any position you desire.
“This Party membership registration exercise put you on the same strength to strength on the political field. PDP is dead in Bayelsa State. In the next one year, the APC will take over power in this State. Have you ever seen a party that has its elected governors defect into another party? The APC controls 16 states now and by numerical strength of population, it is more than states controlled by the PDP.”
In Odi community of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the APC leaders led by Preye Aganaba and Timi Frank declared that prominent indigenes of the area have begun defecting to the All Progressive Congress (APC) following failures of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government to obey a court order.
The aggrieved people lamented the delay in paying N37.6billion damages awarded to them by the Federal High Court as compensation for the November 1999 military invasion of the community under a PDP government led by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
They described the development as disrespectful to the rule of law and a confirmation of the existing impunity in PDP government.
Canvassing for change, Odi indigenes who trooped out to register as members of APC flayed tribal politics saying ethnic and religious sentiments were against the principles of democracy.
They insisted that despite coming from the Niger Delta region and being in the Presidency for over four years, President Goodluck Jonathan had done nothing to alleviate their plights.
They spoke when Preye Anganaba and Timi Frank, the first sons of Odi to dump the PDP for APC and to become part of the national and state leadership of the party, visited the community.
Frank, who was the National Youth Leader of the defunct new PDP, led a large crowd of party enthusiasts to Odi to register and obtain membership card of The party. Frank and Anganaba who registered at Ward 11 said they were stunned at the number of persons that turned up for the exercise.
The duo also led a delegation of party members to the palaces of the King of Kolokuma Kingdom, King Agara Onya Mozi and the Traditional Ruler of Odi, King Shine Après, where they obtained royal blessings for APC.
Frank said the people of Odi were tired of PDP and that they would reject the ruling party in 2015,”The people are tired of the PDP because PDP has done nothing for the period of time this government came about. The current administration led by President Goodluck Jonathan has done nothing for his locality.”
“This is a community where the court has given the people about N37bn compensation. We know that the compensation will not bring back the lives that we have lost in Odi. But they must give us what belongs to is. We will continue to fight for it in a peaceful manner. This community will not consider PDP in the next election until that money is paid. Odi community will not vote President Jonathan. I can tell you clearly. This is my community and we are on ground”, he said.
He said the people had started expressing their anger against Jonathan by coming out en masse to register in APC, “The government has failed this people. This community has contributed so much to the development of this country. But there is nothing to show for it. The government of today has failed and that is why we are here to say bye-bye to PDP and by-bye to Jonathan”.
He asked the people in the community to go about their political activities peacefully describing APC as a peaceful party. He said APC’s gospel of change would be preached to all localities during campaigns.
While urging all Nigerians to identify with the party, he said APC would bring good governance and development. Referring to the people that came out to register in APC in the community, he said: “You can see progressive young men everywhere. They are tired. They want change. They want development. They want empowerment. But today, there is nothing and no empowerment even in the government led by an Ijaw man.
“We are tired and we can’t pretend any more. Despite what Jonathan’s government likes, what we are saying is that our votes in Odi must count. People must not vote based on sentiment. They must not vote because Jonathan is an Ijaw man.
“People will continue to register because everybody wants to identify with change. People have known that APC is a party of change. It is not a party of impunity and lawlessness. My people here are tired of PDP and all of them believe that the only time we can change this country is for everybody to come out en masse to register for the APC. APC will win this ward and this community by the grace of God.”
Anganaba said Odi had demonstrated that they were not shy of imminent change in government. He, however, admonished them to desist from violence in the interests of peace and unity of the community.
Speaking when the delegation paid him a courtesy visit, King Agara gave his royal blessings to APC. He said though the state was governed by PDP, APC’s coming was good development for democratic entrenchment.
Addressing the delegates, he said: “If all other states are having APC, Bayelsa should have it too. I am happy that you have come. APC is like a child now and a child must grow. APC will grow too”. He cautioned against violence observing that both PDP and APC were made up of brothers and sisters.
Dickson, PDP joker
Despite the huge claim of successes by the APC in Bayelsa State, the rolling PDP administration under the leadership of Governor Dickson may have been dangerously silent but closely monitoring the activities of the opposition party in the state.
Although there were noticeable signs of tensed anger among supporters of the PDP, there seems to be a blanket order not to disrupt the activities of the APC in the State.
A Youth Leader from Ekeremor Local Government Area of the State identified as James told Sunday leadership in Yenagoa that due to new discipline and firm control over the Party activities and the government of the state, the Dickson led administration warned against any action that will provoke violence and disrupt existing peace in the state.
Unlike the intolerance shown by the Governor Timipre Sylva administration towards opposition parties including the Labour Party in the run up to towards the aborted 2011 Governorship poll in the state, the PDP looks dangerously calm while the APC conduct its membership registration exercise.
A member of the governor kitchen cabinet of the Governor, names withheld told leadership that the Party may have allowed what he called “acts of foolishness” by the APC as they conduct the membership registration exercise.
According to him, “what we have succeeded in doing is to show better composure in the face of provocation by the few so called Sylva aides and purported APC sponsors. The State is purely a PDP state and we believe in the new orientation on infrastructural development. If Sylva and the APC are the best alternative, why didn’t they do better when he was Governor.”
The PDP in Bayelsa affirm it’s believe in the achievements recorded in the last two years by the administration of Hon. Seriake Dickson, “At the last count, the Hon. Seriake Dickson administration has been able to build 42 roads and bridges across the state including it’s N3billion intervention that has brought about a road linking Ogbia and Nembe. Sylva purported area. Why didn’t he do it when he was Governor.”
“What we considered the APC national leadership doing in Bayelsa is to provoke violence and portray the home state of the President has bad for democracy. But we will not allow them.”
Sylva, Amaechi’s connection
Though silent on the rising incursions by the APC, the duo of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and Former Bayelsa Governor, Timipre Sylva seems to be pulling the strings and giving dangerous blow to the grip of the ruling Party, the PDP.
While Sylva has maintained silence on the APC activities in the State, the hands of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi could not be washed away due to his alleged financing and supervisory responsibility of the Party in the state.
Amaechi, as a supervisory Governor for Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, was responsible for the peaceful resolution of the internal wrangling that had rocked the APC in Bayelsa.