Defection: Diri, Dickson exchange words

…I asked the late dep gov to follow Diri to APC, Dickson

…There was no plan to impeach Ewhrudjakpo, I defected out of personal conviction, Gov

By Samuel Oyadongha & Emem Idio

YENAGOA –The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri and his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, now representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District on Monday exchange subtle shades over the defection of the former to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the unwillingness of the late deputy governor to join him.

Dickson who spoke at his country home, Toru-Orua in Sagbama Local Government Area, while reminiscing about the life and times of the late deputy governor, revealed that he had asked the late deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo to join his boss to APC, but he replied him that the spirit of his fathers’ will not allow that as that was not a right thing to do.

According to Dickson, only a principled man like Ewhrudjakpo who was raised on the right values and was not after pecuniary benefits would stand firm to reject such overtures to defect.

But in a veiled reference Governor Diri, who spoke on Monday night at the January edition of the monthly Praise Night in Government House, stated that politics was dynamic and politicians should learn to accept change in the overall interest of the people they serve.

The governor was quoted by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in a statement on Tuesday, as saying: “There is no static nature in politics because we have alignments and realignments. The development and progress of our state is the reason we are in politics.

“I do not just take decisions. l consult, l pray and my spirit tells me where l should go.

“Most of you know my political trajectory. I have moved from one party to another. I have moved from the National Solidarity Movement, and when the party was dying, we moved to the PDP and then to the Labour Party.

“In the Labour Party, we realised that we had met a brick wall and that was when l was invited to join the PDP again. Assuming l did not move, maybe I would not have become governor today.

“So, in politics, movement is allowed. Changing camps is allowed, but do it out of conviction. Do not be a slave to anyone. Your destiny and the next person’s destiny are not the same.

“If you are convinced and still following that person, please go ahead. But there is no static nature in politics. In political science, we have alignments and realignments. The reason we are in politics is for the development and progress of our state. “

Diri again stated that there was no problem with his late deputy following his defection to the APC. He, however, explained that Ewhrudjakpo did not inform him before going to court for fear of impeachment, and that he later apologized and agreed to withdraw the case.

“Nobody could have impeached him (Ewhrudjakpo) if I did not approve of it,” he stated.

Dickson had said: “Lawrence, look at the last political decision that he took, which was to tell Governor Diri that if Ofuruma Pepe (himself) who brought him to that level is not leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, my boss please bear with me, I have heard your reasons, we are not fighting, I can’t fight you, I’m your deputy but bear with me, I can’t look at Dickson, my conscience cannot accept that the party that gave me the platform to this level.

“He said, we went to court after they rigged us out. Dickson fought, God help. I cannot go to that party. That is a man and it is only a man that was raised on the right values. Lawrence was raised on the right values and he developed himself to a point that doing what was principled and right was more important than temporary inconvenience.

“You see society makes progress when you have leaders at that level. If every leader thinks and takes decision based on what they benefit today, based on food on their table, then we will end up having a society of mercenaries and that is what Nigeria is becoming and not principled leadership because principled leadership tells you, no I go by what is right, what is fair, just and what is good and what my conscience can defend.

“Most people in Bayelsa don’t know that I asked Lawrence to go to APC. I said to him go with your governor because your ticket is joint. I told him your boss has come to brief me and we have had meetings and if that is what he has decided for his own reasons, then go with him.

“And Lawrence looked straight at me and said sir, how can I go if you are not there with us? I don’t think that that is right, I don’t think that his conscience and even said that the spirit of his fathers’ will not allow that.

“Former President Goodluck Jonathan in his tribute refers to that, he said that politicians should learn the life and his (Ewhrudjakpo) styles of politics in addition to a life of service. I think what the former President also meant was a life of principle, commitment to values. But I am not saying that defection is wrong.”

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