…backs Tinubu’s INEC nominee, Prof. Amupitan
By Rejoice Peterside, Abuja
Hours after the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), former governor and senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Seriake Dickson, has described the move as “a flight from the mess they created.”
Speaking with journalists shortly after Wednesday’s plenary at the National Assembly, Senator Dickson expressed disappointment over the defection, accusing Governor Diri and others who dumped the PDP of abandoning the same problems they helped create within the party.
According to him, the defection was unnecessary, especially coming from a sitting second-term governor who had every opportunity to strengthen the opposition rather than weaken it.
“I am where I have been. I am where I am. I don’t believe that Nigeria should be a one-party state,” Dickson said.
“As a soldier of democracy, I’m used to the ups and downs of democratic life. I remain steadfast in the Peoples Democratic Party and will continue working with my colleagues and friends to resolve our party’s problems.”
The former Bayelsa governor lamented that those who failed to provide leadership in the PDP were now jumping ship after creating divisions within the party.
“The governors and leadership who created this mess are the ones now bailing out after refusing to solve the problems they started. It’s very sad. It makes Nigeria look small and makes our democracy appear ridiculous,” he said.
“We don’t really know what they are pursuing or what is pursuing them. But whatever it is, it belittles our democracy and endangers our multi-party system.”
Dickson, who governed Bayelsa State from 2012 to 2020, disclosed that Governor Diri had personally consulted him several times about the plan to defect but said he was never convinced by the arguments presented.
“To his credit, the governor consulted me several times. But I was not convinced because I didn’t see any compelling reason for a second-term governor to defect,” he said.
“Since leaving office, I have not acted as a godfather. I left everything and have made no demands, no pressures, only available for consultation and advice.”
He emphasized that Nigeria, being a plural society, thrives on a plural democratic system and warned against the dangers of turning the country into a one-party state.
“A plural Nigeria can only thrive on a plural democratic environment,” Dickson stressed.
“The PDP gave my people, the Ijaw Nation, and the Niger Delta, the opportunity to contest and emerge as Vice President, Acting President, and even President of Nigeria. This other party cannot do that. I am standing firmly with the PDP.”
The lawmaker added that if efforts to revive and reform the PDP fail, any collective decision on the future must still not involve joining the ruling party, insisting that democracy must always have a strong opposition.
“If we don’t succeed in saving the PDP, we’ll take a collective decision. But that decision should never be to join the ruling party. Democracy without opposition ceases to be democracy,” he maintained.
On a different note, Senator Dickson commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for nominating Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing the choice as “excellent.”
“I will support his nomination fully,” Dickson declared.
“As a member of the Electoral Committee and the Senate, I’ll work with my colleagues to ensure that the electoral reforms we are championing see the light of day and that Professor Amupitan is confirmed as INEC Chairman.”
He lauded Amupitan’s credentials, noting that as a Professor of Law and the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to be nominated as INEC Chair, he carries a historic responsibility to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process.
“We expect him, as a professor of law and a senior advocate, to understand his place in history,” he added.
Senator Dickson’s remarks come amid a wave of political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with several opposition figures defecting to the ruling party across the country.
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