By Hamilton Nwosa (Head, Poll Tracking Desk)
Shortly after the outcome of the Bayelsa State tension-soaked governorship election on Saturday, November 16, 2019, a keen political observer had symbolically predicted that after the shattering defeat of the PDP, departing Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson, as leader of PDP in the State, might be left with a very few options. One of the options, to the observer, is to go into full-scale farming, including Sugar-cane farming in his native Toru-Orua community located in Sagbama Local Government Area of the State. Predictably, photographs of Dickson in his sugar-cane farm have suddenly surfaced! The second option is to return to School in the United States.
Apart from the fact that the election results ultimately resolved the protracted battle for supremacy between Dickson and Minister of State for Petroleum and former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, many viewed the outcome of the polls as Bayelsans decision to hand Dickson a most smashing defeat on account his alleged political arrogance, indiscretion and selfish political mission. Among his alleged sins were his reported plans to contest a Senatorial seat, after stepping down as State governor, refusal to hearken to the words of wisdom by allowing Chief Timi Alaibe, former Managing Director of NDDC to fly the PDP flag and his short-sightedness.
However, while Governor Dickson’s political misdemeanor may have caused him his alleged dream of running for the Senate (as a possible replacement for Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, the PDP deputy governorship candidate), if his candidate (Senator Douye Diri of PDP) had won the governorship election, it has not closed the door to other options. The first is his purported plan of returning to Sugar-cane farming in his native Toru-Orua community! Insiders disclosed that Dickson also has a large fish farm in Yenagoa, and a Plantation farm in North Central part of the country.
Thus, like Eze, the central character in Onuora Nzekwe’s novel, Eze Goes to School, Governor Dickson who has been one of the central dramatis personae in Bayelsa state in the last eight years, would reportedly be heading to his farm as a sugar –cane farmer in the coming weeks. This is after suffering a humiliating and self-inflicted political defeat. There are also reports that the out-going governor is weighing the option of proceeding to Kennedy School of Government, Harvard, Massachusetts, USA, to study politics and leadership.
Prior to his Party’s defeat, Dickson was said to have seen himself as the political tsar of Bayelsa politics! Apart from his alleged shocking disrespect for key political leaders in the State, especially former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, former Managing Director of NDDC, Chief Timi Alaibe, Senator Nimi Amange, amongst others, Dickson was alleged to have openly boasted that he has the structure to install a PDP governor in Bayelsa State! Now, a reversal of fortune!
THE NEW DIPLOMAT had earlier reported how Chief Lyon won in 6 of the 8 local governments in the state while PDP’s Senator Diri won only two. Above, Dickson is pictured in his sugar –cane farm situated in Toru-Orua community of Bayelsa State. The New Diplomat gathered that Governor Dickson recently took his cabinet members to this sugar-cane farm. But some reportedly raised some questions: Is Sugar-cane farming commercially viable and sustainable in Bayelsa State? If he was really committed to sugar-cane farming, why didn’t he empower the State ministry of Agriculture to undertake it as a significant state-wide project for Bayelsans? Should he proceed to Kennedy School of Government, Harvard, USA as being speculated, Governor Dickson would certainly learn one or two lessons about the art of consensus- building, compromise and inclusive enterprise in political choices!
