Since 1999 the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) has held power in Bayelsa state. But the dominoes fell after
Saturday’s governorship election in which the All Progressives Congress (APC)
clinched victory.
The Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) declared David Lyon, candidate of the APC, winner
of the election.
Lyon defeated Duoye Diri, the PDP
candidate, winning in six out of the eight local government areas in the state,
and polling 353,552 votes.
But why was the APC able to break
the PDP jinx in Bayelsa? Here are five reasons.
The battle for the state began
about two years ago. It was fought at the state house of assembly, and it
heightened during the 2019 national assembly election in the state.
Dickson, as governor, is said to
have taken unilateral decisions on some issues. He is accused of not consulting
stakeholders — not even his own deputy – and of disrespecting the party’s
elders in the state.
He was accused of foisting Diri,
his candidate, on the party over his alleged senatorial ambition. Diri, a
senator, was said to be his trump card to the senate — if he had won the
election.
A gale of defection of party
members to the APC hit the PDP ahead of the election. Also, many of Dickson’s
aides resigned a few weeks to the exercise.
The PDP camp was divided, which
the APC capitalised on and inflicted a painful defeat on the party.
DICKSON-JONATHAN ”FACE-OFF”
Dickson was said to have
disrespected former President Goodluck Jonathan and some Bayelsa elders. Timi
Alaibe, former NDDC managing director, was said to be the ”consensus candidate”
and stronger contender to replace the governor.
But the governor was alleged to
have worked in cahoots with Uche Secondus, PDP national chairman, to have his
way in the governorship primary election, imposing Diri, his cousin, on the
party, frustrating the emergence of Alaibe.
He was also alleged to have
disparaged Bayelsa east — Jonathan’s zone (Ogbia, Nembe and Brass) — as
non-core ”Ijaw people and traitors”.
The former president’s allies
were said to have moved to the APC, though he did not campaign for the APC
candidate out of respect for Dickson. But his wife, Patience, who is said to be
Lyon’s god-mother, showed her support unabbreviated.
Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers
state, was also said to have backed Jonathan in his tacit support for Lyon.
The APC defeated the PDP in
Ogbia, Jonathan’s local government area, polling more than 40,000 votes.
THE FEDERAL MIGHT
The influence of the federal
government is also believed to have played a role in the victory of the APC in
the oil-rich state.
In the 2019 general election, the
APC waxed stronger, pulling a relatively impressive performance in Bayelsa. The
party polled over 35% of votes in the state. It also won a senatorial seat, two
seats at the house of representatives and four seats in the state house of
assembly.
With more resources, contacts and
strength to pull the strings, the APC was in a good stead to clinch victory.
Despite the legal spanners thrown into the works, the party pulled through.
And with Timipre Sylva, a former
governor of the state and minister of state for petroleum resources, the APC
was battle-ready for victory.
SOUTHERN IJAW FACTOR
The APC candidate hails from
Southern Ijaw local government area, which commands the highest voting strength
in the state; hence, it was plain sailing for Lyon.
The results of the election showed
that the highest number of votes was from Southern Ijaw — and most of them for
Lyon. The APC polled 124, 803 votes in the area, while PDP had just 4, 898
votes.
OFF-CYCLE VOTE ADVANTAGE
Bayelsa operates an off-cycle
vote owing to a legal tussle in 2008 which altered the electoral calendar. The
APC assembled its armada for Bayelsa in the bid to deracinate the PDP. All
attention was fixed on the state. Some APC governors even relocated to Yenagoa
for ”real politik”.
culled: TheCable
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