Bayelsa state witnessed what many have termed the political
Tsunami of our time with the decision of frontline politicians in the state to
defect from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP to the All Progressives Congress
APC. This defection has left the ruling party in the state seething in anger
and sulking in regret for losing strong elements that have always made the
party thick in the state thanks to the attitude of the governor who despite his
incompetence has refused to see reason why he must not contest for second term
and the PDP which has failed to learn their lessons.
The All Progessives Congress APC clearly the frontline party
in the forthcoming guber polls has placed itself in pole position and has
become the best option to ease out the inefficient Seriake Dickson and his band
of failed backers and if what Nigerians witnessed last Saturday is anything to go
by, then the Governor will continue with the myth which is now a political
tradition in the state where no governor has succeeded in concluding a second
term in office.
One of the reasons why the decampment has raised a lot of fear
amongst the PDP political machinery in the state is as a result of the patriotic
decision of Mr. Timi Alaibe to ditch them in favour of the APC. It should be
noted that Timi Alaibe who was the Executive Director Finance and Administration
of the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC and later Managing Director. For
over five years this Kolokuma Opokuma born politician and administrator has
been out of public office and out of public eyes yet he has continued to exude
fears in the hearts of politicians in the state despite the low profile he has
maintained since then.
One thing that makes Timi Alaibe thick is as a result of the
way and manner he brought in humaneness and administrative suavity while in
office. He also brought in dynamism in governance while at the NDDC leading to
the NDDC Master Plan which was later jettisoned by successive administrations
in the Commission. Mr. Alaibe made the NDDC a strong brand which helped attract
stakeholders from far and wide to lots
of projects carried out by the Commission then. It is a pity that since he left
the Commission those that have been privileged to be there have failed to fill
the void created by his departure. It is for this reason that his decision to
leave the PDP in the state generated a lot of hype in the Nigerian media who
view him as a the best catch for the APC in its quest to capture the Niger
Delta region.
Lots of politicians have left the PDP in Bayelsa including
the likes of Sen. Ikisikpo who was amongst the first to leave, Sen. Lokpobiri
Heineken who like Ikisikpo was a member of the last Senate also left the party
amongst other VIP politicians in the state but that of Alaibe has elicited
greater attention because Nigerians see him as a politician who has the clout
to rally the support of the people especially youths in the state who he
empowered very well while at the NDDC and later as Special Adviser to the late
President Umar Yaradua. He is seen as an upright, dedicated and people oriented
personality whose goodwill will surely impact on the fortunes of the APC not
only in Bayelsa state but in the entire Niger Delta region where he has strong
followership. It should be noted also that in the days leading to the
acceptance of amnesty by the Niger Delta militants, Mr. Alaibe played a huge
role in ensuring that they embraced the programme. It is a pity that the former
President failed to use his services while as President. His failure will be a
gain for the present President whom I believe will appreciate his worth.
With the decision of Alaibe and others to abandon the PDP, it
has left the party in pains and it will find it difficult to recover
considering that it is bent on fielding a candidate that has lost the faith of
the governed in the state. Governor Seriake Dickson is a bad sell as far as the
PDP is concerned and its decision to stick with him will make it lose the
election and bury the party for good in the state.
As the governorship elections draw close, it is imperative
that the All Progressives Congress APC realize that the PDP is losing touch
with the masses due to its lack of respect for fairness. It behoves them to do
the right thing by ensuring that the right person is chosen to fly its flag in
the forthcoming elections. Any attempt to field an unpopular candidate will help
the inefficient Dickson back for another term which is what the state today
does not need.
I may not know if Timi Alaibe is interested in the
governorship race but if he is interested then he stands the chance to win the
race considering the fact that Bayelsans and Nigerians see him as a man that
can deliver the goods when the chips are down.
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