By Steve Nwosu
Finally, the cat has been let out of the bag! It’s official! Sen. Henry Seriake Dickson has left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And with that singular move, he has completely changed the political narrative ahead of the 2027 general elections – and probably, beyond.
Yes! Dickson has left PDP, a party which even he confesses, was very dear to his heart. A party which he says has given him almost everything. A party which he has now been serially betrayed and led into the abyss by the same people who were entrusted with protecting and preserving it at its most vulnerable season. Betrayed especially by sitting governors, all of them beneficiaries of PDP’s benevolence, but who not only fenced off those who genuinely desired to rescue the party, but also stuck a dagger in its heart in its hour of need, and then jumped ship
But like Dickson said on Thursday, he did not dump PDP: ‘PDP simply left me’
However, unlike the politicians of convenience, who have lately been flocking into the ruling APC, in the diabolic claim of “connecting with the centre”, the politician of conviction that Dickson is, says there is little or nothing in his principles of fairness, equity, transparency, federalism, service to the people as well as the protection of the weak and vulnerable, that can be found in the APC and the style of governance it has unleashed on the country in the las 12 unbroken years it has held power at the centre.
Of course, Seriake Dickson needs no introduction. Anyone who has followed the goings-on in the 10th, and even the 9th, Senate would confirm that one major voice of reason, unputdownable even when, as is often the case, in the minority, is the voice of the Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District. He would stand to be counted on just about every issue – from environment and climate change to taxation; from electoral reforms to judiciary reforms. From the evidence act to resource control, from access to affordable healthcare to tertiary education loan fund. Just about anything that puts Nigeria first, jealously guards its multi-party democracy, projects and protects its image abroad, respects its diversity and guarantees a just, equitable and safe country.
Of course, its understandable why Dickson is riled by opaqueness in transaction of government business, as he says has become second nature with the APC central government. As Governor of Bayelsa State (2012 to 2020), one of the first bills Dickson sponsored to the state house of assembly was the transparency bill.
By the provisions of that law, Dickson compelled himself as Governor, and subsequent governors after him, to give a monthly account to Bayelsans, of all the monies received by the state government, and the expenditures therefrom in an open public forum.
Failure of the governor to do so for three consecutive months constitutes an impeachable offence.
It was literally one of the first bills Dickson, as Governor, sent to the State House of Assembly, and it was akin to opening the government’s books to scrutiny by just anybody.
Upon the passage of the transparency law, Gov. Dickson then constituted the state finance team, made up of 10 senior government officials, with the Commissioner of Finance as chairman, and the Accountant General of the state as deputy chairman. The committee sat every month to analyse receipts and expenditures of the state.
It also sat every month with the Deputy Governor to decide the sectoral allocations to all ministries, parastatals and agencies, and then sent their recommendations to the governor for approval. That way, the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor is not shut out from the goings on in the finances of the state, as is the case with most states of the Federation.
It also broke the cycle whereby a governor, conniving with his Finance Commissioner and Accountant General would make phoney approvals and withdrawals, without the knowledge of the Deputy Governor, just to enable them to embezzle money.
For the eight years that Henry Seriake Dickson was governor of Bayelsa, this law remained in full force, making it almost impossible for anyone (including the governor and his deputy) to steal government money.
The net result of this prudent management of lean resources was that Bayelsa’s over N200 billion debt which Dickson inherited was so drastically reduced that at the end of his second term in office, Bayelsa was the least indebted state in the South South zone, and one of the lowest in the country. Curiously, this was in spite of the big-ticket projects that the administration delivered. Meanwhile, the cumulative total amount that Bayelsa received for the eight years Dickson as governor came to about N1.050 trillion – an amount some of the present crop of governors budget for just one fiscal year.
Knowing what is achievable, therefore, one can only imagine the pain that courses through Dickson’s heart in the Senate when hundreds of trillions of NNPC earnings, for instance, go unaccounted for, for nearly 10 years, and the APC central government carries on like all is well.
Having severally turned down overtures to join APC, the expectation was that Dickson would join ranks with other notable politicians who have coalesced on the platform of the ADC. In fact, with the heightened exchanges of visits between him and some of the leading lights of the ADC, the discussion was no longer if, but, when, he would join the ADC.
But Dickson poured cold water on that permutation too. According to him, a lot of things are still unclear to him about what the party stands for, as well as its position on several issues and ideals he considers germane. As Dickson jocularly put it last Thursday, “I’m still waiting to confirm if what we have in ADC is a COALITION or COLLISION”.
Rather than join the bandwagon to APC, in the expectation that the ruling party would invoke the infamous Federal Might to write election results in his favour, or the ADC where everything is in a flux, Dickson has opted for the newly registered NDC, a party he helped found and which has now announced him as National Leader.
In Dickson’s words, the decision to settle for NDC is unambiguous:
“In making the decision to go with the NDC, I made it clear that Nigeria must never become a one-party state. It would have been easy for me to join the bandwagon of politicians decamping to the ruling party—the APC, but that was never an option for me. My decision is informed by a number of reasons: the APC’s abuse and disrespect of the country’s diversity, its inability to effectively manage national security, and its failure to manage the economy in a manner that protects the welfare of Nigerians, resulting in widespread hunger, poverty, and disillusionment. This is further compounded by the mismanagement of our democratic space and the rejection of electoral reforms, leaving democratic liberties under threat after twelve years in power.
“My decision to set up the NDC has been a painful one because of the PDP’s contribution to me, the people of Bayelsa and all Nigerians, but the reality is that we must move forward. By my nature and background, I am not a politician of convenience but one guided by conviction, principles, and values”.
Of course, those values and principles are clearly spelt out in the Manifesto of Ofurumapepe’s new party thus:
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress is a national platform for patriots committed to building a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous Nigeria. Our priorities begin with national security, ensuring the protection of lives and property through strengthened defence and security institutions; education and skills development to build human capacity and drive national progress; affordable and quality healthcare for all Nigerians; a free-market economy guided by responsible regulation and social protection; industrialisation and local production to reduce dependence on imports; modernised agriculture and food security across the value chain; empowerment and inclusion of women and youth in governance and development; true federalism and devolution of powers to strengthen states and local governments; environmental protection and remediation of degraded areas; provision of affordable housing and modern towns; Pan-Africanist foreign policy and economic diplomacy; preservation and promotion of Nigeria’s culture and heritage; expansion of national infrastructure and transportation networks; reliable and sustainable power and energy supply; reform of the public service to ensure efficiency and accountability; and large-scale employment creation across sectors to provide opportunities for all Nigerians. The NDC will promote an independent judiciary, a free and independent press and ensure the promotion and protection of democratic norms and adherence to the rule of law.
“It is for these reasons that I have chosen to align fully with the NDC as we work together to build a stronger, fairer, and more inclusive Nigeria.
With Dickson ship now berthed in the NDC, it appears the new party may well become the bride in the Nigerian political firmament.
Fresh, untainted and unencumbered, without any of the baggage and intractable court cases weighing down existing political parties, NDC may well be the real alternative platform. The McCoy.
The days ahead sure promise to be exciting.
