There is growing fear that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is on the verge of losing more of its members to the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the change of baton in Bayelsa State.
In the next two days, specifically, on Friday, February 14, 2020, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson and his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (Rtd.) will complete their eight-year tenure as Governor and Deputy Governor respectively. As usual, there is already excitement in the air and Bayelsans cannot wait for the Valinetine’s day to see the red carpet laid to usher in the new Governor and his deputy.
But there are palpable fears stemming from what played out in Imo State on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 when the Supreme Court sent Chief Emeka Ihedioha packing as Governor of Imo State and declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma as the duly elected governor of the State.
The ruling threw Imolites, especially those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into chaos. It was a nightmare and rude shock as they only came to realize it was not a dream, when Uzodinma was handed Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and subsequently sworn in by the State Chief Judge.
It was widely reported that for the whole of that fateful Tuesday, January 14, 2020, residents of Owerri, the Imo State capital remained indoors, leaving the streets of Owerri a shadow of itself. Then on Thursday, January 16, 2020 unable to bear it any more, the aggrieved Imolites poured into the streets in black attires in a peaceful protest to reject the Supreme Court ruling.
Among those who led the protest were all 27 members of the Imo State House of Assembly. They carried placards with screaming obscenities, calling the Supreme Court judgment ‘miscarriage of justice’. But that turned out to be the much support they could offer the PDP on whose platform they were elected to the House as events began to unfold, exposing the politician in them!
True to a popular African proverb which says, ‘pretend as if you are dead and you will see those who really love you’, the legislators began to shift their allegiances to the new king.
The Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and his Majority Leader counterpart, Hon. Okey Onyekanma and Hon. Lugard Osuji respectively, were the first to fire the salvo. The duo decamped to the APC shortly after tendering resignation on Tuesday, January 21, 2020.
As at the last count, save for the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Okey Onyekanma who later debunked his defection claims, plus unconfirmed speculations about 6 other lawmakers denying joining the APC, the remaining 20 legislators have pitched their tent with the APC even as the PDP in Imo State have vowed to recall the defectors whom they described as ‘saboteurs’.
Even as most Imolites may still be traumatized by the sad development, there seem to be simmering hope about the probability of the Supreme Court reversing its decision following what has been described as weighty and compelling petition made to the apex court by the ousted Chief Emeka Ihedioha.
However, attention would shift to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly where the PDP controls the House with 19 out of 24 members. Analysts fear the PDP may be hit by a gale of defection from Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14, 2020 when Senator David Lyon will take over as Governor of Bayelsa State. These fears are premised on facts on ground.
Five days after the announcement of result of the Governorship Election that was held last November; which affirmed the victory of APC and defeat of PDP, there were reports that the entire PDP members in the state legislature are plotting to dump the party for the APC. Although sixteen PDP legislators, including the Speaker, Honorable Monday Obolo-Bobou, and Deputy Speaker, Honorable Abraham Ngobere, publicly debunked the report and rededicated themselves to the PDP and Restoration Movement, their denial wasn’t enough to convince political observers.
It is believed that the Speaker and his colleagues made the denial in order to continue to enjoy the patronage of the outgoing governor, Seriake Dickson until February 14 when his reign officially comes to an end.
Analysts belive the odd of the PDP legislators to defect to the APC is very high; especially the Speaker, his Deputy as well as other principal officers. The Speaker and other principal officers may want to be in the good book of the new administration in order to guarantee their positions in the state legislature, and belonging to the same political party with Governor-elect David Lyon will be the only condition for them. While other members of the State Assembly will not want to run into trouble with the incoming Governor; and as such, may defect to the party of the new helmsman.
One sad fact about politics in this part of the world is that the loyalty of politicians is strictly to their own interest. Recall what played out in Kano in 2016 when the entire members of Kano State House of Assembly abandoned Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, their political leader, and defected to the camp of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who succeeded Kwankwaso as Governor of Kano State after both men had political disagreement.
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to find a Nigerian politician whose loyalty is not tied to what he stands to gain individually. It is more difficult to find a state legislature with members not aligning with the party of the state Governor.
Conclusively, while the defection of PDP legislators in Bayelsa State to the APC is almost imminent, it definitely would be a sad and painful pill that the Peoples Democratic Party will have to swallow.
However, the PDP should be consoled by truism of this popular proverb by the Ashanti people of Ghana that no matter how much the rain beats a leopard’s skin, it does not wash out its spots.
