By Akinwale Kasali
Forget the newly sworn-in Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri. Forget the immediate past Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, who God miraculously rescued from political oblivion on February, the 13th, with the annulment of the victory of the APC candidate, David Lyon, less than 24 hours to his swearing-in as the governor. Forget, even, former President Goodluck Jonathan, a Bayelsan, PDP, whose international reputation as a democrat is huge.
Right now, these people are not the most important people in Bayelsa and the PDP. For, none of them is likely to spoil, and/or cut short PDP’s victory party in Bayelsa.
There is only one man capable of doing that. He is Timi Alaibe, former Managing Director of the NDDC and, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, aspirant at the Bayelsa Governorship election.
Alaibe is the beautiful bride in the PDP, as his house has become a Mecca of sorts for PDP stalwarts, in Bayelsa and nationwide. The immediate Past governor of the State, Dickson, Governor Diri, PDP Chairman, Uche Secondus and others, have, since the declaration of Diri as governor, been pleading with him to sheath his sword and forgive the Party.
The intervention of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodiuck Jonathan are also being enlisted for help.
Alaibe lost the PDP ticket to Diri, the choice of Dickson, as against Alaibe, who was the candidate of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Despite the Alaibe’s popularity, Dickson used his power of incumbency and the backing from the State Party apparatus, to secure victory for Diri at the party’s Governorship primary. It precipitated a run on the partg. Alaibe cried foul, and went to court. A competent source told this magazine that Alaibe’s case could be the spoiler.
The Party hierarchy which before now never took the case seriously, have suddenly realised its seriosness. What to do?
All hand are on deck, and all stops being pulled in seriously begging and courting Alaibe to stop his litigation against Diri, Dickson, and the party which they strongly believe could truncate Diri’s tenure.
Immediately after the swearing-in of Diri on Friday evening, the magazine gathered that Diri, accompanied by Dickson and Secondus went to see Jonathan in his hometown, Otuoke, to apologise for their actions pre-election and post-election, They also used the opportunity to appeal to the former president to pacify Alaibe to drop his litigation.
In Suit No: FHC/YNG/CS/99/2019 filed before the court, Alaibe is, among other things, urging the Court to declare him as the validly nominated governorship candidate of the PDP. He joined the PDP, Diri and two others as defendants.
Kick Starting a reconciliation process within the Party, Dickson told his allies, including Governor Diri, that he intended to reach out to all aggrieved persons within and outside the state, with a view to re-energizing and repositioning the party.
The next couple of weeks will be crucial for the PDP.
