In less than four months, the people of oil-rich Bayelsa State will file out to elect the next governor of the state. The incumbent, Henry Seriake Dickson, who is seeking a second term, has already declared his intention in that regard. For him, the race for the party’s ticket appears over because he has the majestic nod of the immediate past president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan. However, the same, the battle seems not over as the governor must surmount the All Progressives Congress (APC). In fact, the real thing is just about starting.
At present, the atmosphere in Bayelsa State can best be described as charged and eager. Every view on the December 5 governorship election presents an unpretentious but strange conclusion-there is a confusion of sort. Truly, Bayelsans desire change not because of their belief in the ideals of the APC; but because the state seems encircled in a helpless web to the extent that the need for change resonates albeit inadvertently on the lips of the people.
Put simply, even though the people have not expressed a hasty readiness to severe touch with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when you talk to a cross section of the indigenes, they do not hide their feeling against Dickson’s administration. The implication therefore is that of voters’ revolution in Bayelsa State come December 5.. Nonetheless, to the ordinary man on the streets of Bayelsa, the possibility or otherwise of such a revolution is dependent on the eventual decision the APC delegates would make in the choice of its governorship candidate on September 19.
Do the opinions of these few people matter. Let’s hear them out first. To Barrister Ebisinemi Turunarigha, both the incumbent governor and his immediate predecessor should kiss the governorship of the state goodbye. What are his reasons? “The truth is, Timipre Sylva and Seriake Dickson should forget the governorship race because they have not impressed us at all. The only man I trust and believe can deliver this state from poverty, Is Ndutimi Alaibe. He is the only man that has contested for this position, three times and has not been given the opportunity to serve.
“I think we should give him a chance this time to serve us. If you could recall, while Alaibe was the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) many Bayelsans benefitted from him, in spite of the fact that the commission was not established for Bayelsa alone. Even though he was not in the position at that time to award contracts, he created lots of impact and touched the lives of many Bayelsans. So I think if we give him the opportunity this time to serve as governor, he would do far better than he did while working with the NDDC. We have tested Dickson and Sylva and in terms of structural development, they have not done well. In fact for the five years Sylva served, he didn’t give us what we expected from him.
“That was why Bayelsans decided to bring in Dickson to change Sylva; and when Dickson came, the change we yearned, we have not also seen it. The basic truth is that their policies have not touched the lives of the ordinary man on the street and that is disheartening. In Bayelsa, we are not tired of changing people. We will keep changing governors until we get it right, we will keep changing people until we get a governor like Fashola, Akpabio and Sullivan Chime. So, Alaibe should be given the chance to govern this state.”
However, Christopher Ebhodaghe, a tricycle rider, gives a deeper perspective: “I would prefer Seriake Dickson to return if the battle at the end of the day is between Timipre Sylva and Dickson. Why I say so is because, Sylva, during his first tenure, we observed lots of lapses in the area of security of lives and properties, and he abandoned so many projects. Coming to Dickson, though people are complaining about him but it is better to leave Dickson that started the projects that we are currently enjoying than to bring Sylva that would come back and abandon Dickson’s projects because Dickson abandoned his own. I certainly would prefer Dickson if the race is between him and Sylva.
For Mr. Sunny Orji, a cement dealer, his attitude tends to exude possible apathy, saying he would prefer to remain indoors if the race would eventually be between Dickson and Sylva.
He said: “If the race is between Timipre Sylva and Seriake Dickson, then on the day of the election, I would rest in my house. If you ask me why, I’ll say I don’t want any of them to come back to govern this state again because they have disappointed Bayelsans when they had the opportunity to move this state forward. Talk of Dickson, he promised us that he would turn Bayelsa to the Dubai of Africa and today look at our streets, street lights are off, and it has been so for two years; everywhere is dark and for people like us that drive at night, the situation is terrible. “Is the Bayelsa we are living today the Dubai of Africa he promised.
“As for Sylva, we have tested him in the past and he failed us. In fact we saw what Sylva did while he was the governor of the state. If you remember, Bayelsans mobilized to work against him. So instead of me to come out that day to vote, I will sit back at home and relax because the two of them are not my choice candidates. I believe strongly that we have people that are more competent than they are and can do far better than they have done.”
Michael Vure, an activist, sees it differently as he said Sylva stands taller than Dickson if the contest is narrowed to the duo. “For me, I would prefer Sylva to Dickson because the Dickson government is a family government. The government Dickson is running is a family government and not Bayelsa government. If you go round town, all new and luxurious houses belong to his family people and friends, yet he says there is no money.
“The only thing that spoilt Sylva’s government was the uncontrollable level of insecurity in the state. But in terms of empowerment of the people, Sylva’s government did well. So, now that he is coming back, all he needs to do is prefer to tackle security and continue his style of leadership and Bayelsa would be good for it. But if there is any way we can try somebody new, I don’t mind but if the race is between Sylva and Dickson, I would prefer Sylva.”
Nicholas Opuene, a barbing salon operator, is as unequivocal those who share the view that both Dickson and Sylva should quit the race for a fresh hand to come on board. To be sincere with you, I know Seriake Dickson and Timipre Sylva very well. In my own opinion Sylva while he was governor, established a security outfit which people didn’t like because of the negative impression they gave his administration. Also he surrounded himself with people that contributed to the destruction of his administration; I don’t want to mention names.
“In fact some persons in his government were even stronger than the governor himself, and this is a fact; please feel free to find out if I am telling lies. If you look at the situation we find ourselves presently, Dickson and Sylva are birds of the same feather. I don’t want any of them to come.
“In fact I want to advise Dickson and Sylva, both of them complained that they could not transform Bayelsa because of dwindling revenue, and if that is the case, they should forget about coming to govern Bayelsa state because it is only those that are willing to contribute their money to the development of the state that Bayelsans need right now. Anyway, I hear that Ndutimi Alaibe is in the race for the governorship of the state; and if that is true, then I would prefer Alaibe to be the governor.”
A fashion designer, Mr. Samuel Abara, would not hesitate to Dickson’s path if his opponent is Sylva. His reason is that projects would be abandoned in the state if the change means bringing Sylva on board again. If the contest is between Sylva and Dickson, then I would vote for Dickson. I say so because I don’t want a situation where we would have a governor like Sylva that would come in and abandon Dickson’s projects because Dickson abandoned his. So, to me, if the contest is between the two of them, then I would vote for Dickson.
Uche Duru who is a hair stylist puts it more apt by advising Sylva to quit the race for Alaibe if Bayelsans truly must enjoy change. “I don’t want Seriake Dickson at all, because our customers complain about him. Our customers are crying and complaining that there is hunger in the state, and because of that, I don’t even get much income these days.
“My prayer now is that Sylva should step down for Ndutimi Alaibe because majority of Bayelsans don’t want Dickson or Sylva. They are saying so because they believe that if the contest is between Sylva and Dickson, Dickson would win. To me, Dickson and Sylva should not come back but if the race is between the two of them, then I would prefer Dickson.”
However, a trader’s assessment of the situation in the state is more emphatic. Says Zilayefa Alu: “If Timipre Sylva gets the ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC) then APC will fail in Bayelsa State. All we want is a better candidate; a candidate that is better than Sylva and Seriake Dickson to become our governor. I cannot tell you the person I think would be better to replace Dickson but I want a neutral and better candidate. It does not matter the political party the person belongs to, so long as the aim is to change Dickson, I will vote for that candidate.”
Clearly, the way of change in Bayelsa state is open but riddled with confusion. Can the APC change mantra make its way through in the oil-rich state? This question can best answered in the context of the outcome of the September 19 governorship primary in the state.
Kalio, a journalist, wrote from Yenagoa
This article was originally published on Thisday.