Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, has slammed opposition governors defecting to Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it mocked the country’s democracy and posed a danger to multiparty politics.
His successor, Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri, defected from the leading opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday.
Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday, October 15, after plenary, Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, reaffirmed his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and said he would not abandon the platform that gave his people political opportunities at the highest levels.
“I am where I have always been. I don’t believe Nigeria should become a one-party state. As a democrat, I understand the ups and downs of the process, but I remain constant and steadfast in the PDP,” Dickson said.
The senator expressed disappointment over the defections of several PDP governors, including Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Peter Mbah of Enugu, and most recently, Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State, who announced his move to the APC barely 24 hours after Mbah’s defection.
“It’s sad. Instead of fixing the problems, they let the crisis fester and now they are bailing out. It makes Nigeria look small, ridicules our democracy, and endangers multiparty politics. What we are witnessing is political class suicide,” Dickson said.
He revealed that Governor Diri had consulted him several times before defecting but said he was not convinced by the reasons given for leaving the PDP. “To his credit, he consulted me, but I didn’t see any compelling reason to defect. I’m still standing where I have always stood, with the PDP, the party that gave my people the opportunity to produce a Vice President, an acting President, and a President of the Federal Republic. The APC cannot offer that,” he added.
Dickson emphasised that defecting to the ruling party should not be an option for anyone committed to democratic values. “If we fail to save the PDP, then we will decide collectively on the next step, but it certainly should not be joining the APC. A democracy without opposition becomes a dictatorship,” he warned.
Describing himself as a “soldier of democracy,” Dickson said he remains dedicated to strengthening multiparty politics in Nigeria. The former Bayelsa governor, who handed over power to Diri, said he would continue to fight for the preservation of democratic plurality and political balance in the country.
