By Reportcircle-Abuja
In a fiery political fallout just hours after Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), former governor and Senator for Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, has launched a blistering attack on his successor, accusing him and other defectors of abandoning the party they wrecked.
“They created the mess in the PDP and are now bailing out like cowards,” Dickson said in an emotional post-plenary media chat on Wednesday. “It’s very sad. They’ve weakened our democracy and made Nigeria look small.”
Senator Dickson while speaking to journalists at the National Assembly on Wednesday revealed that Governor Diri consulted him multiple times before his defection, but said he remained unconvinced, especially as Diri is a second-term governor with nothing left to lose politically.
“There was no compelling reason. None. I told him so. I’m still standing with the PDP the party that gave the Niger Delta and Ijaw Nation real opportunities to lead Nigeria,” he said, citing the rise of Goodluck Jonathan as evidence of PDP’s historical role in inclusion.
Taking a principled stance, Dickson reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to opposition politics and multiparty democracy.
“I don’t believe Nigeria should be a one-party state. I am still as constant as the Northern Star,” he declared. “A democracy without opposition is no democracy at all.”
He blasted those who, instead of solving internal party issues, chose to “jump ship”, accusing them of belittling the democratic process and endangering Nigeria’s plural political structure.
Despite the political firestorm, Dickson voiced strong support for President Tinubu’s nomination of Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN) as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“He is the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria ever nominated for this role. It’s a strong choice, and I will support it,” Dickson said, pledging to work for Amupitan’s confirmation and the advancement of electoral reforms in the Senate.
