The zoning riddle and Bayelsa PDP

Shortly before the second anniversary of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson’s in­auguration, words started going round that a grand plan is be­ing hatched by some political stake­holders to deny all the eight National Assembly members another term in 2015. The presence of all the lawmak­ers at the anniversary celebration coupled with the comments credited to Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, com­mending Dickson for his superlative performance was not enough to dis­miss the plot.
Few weeks to the commencement of the primaries, what is being discussed in hushed tones is now in the open. Indeed, the gloves are off and the political gladiators in Bayelsa State after a long break are returning to the trenches.
Political pundits are of the opinion that the political stakeholders’ that resurrected the idea of zoning were not prepared for the political brouhaha the issue had triggered in the state. From Bayelsa West, Bayesa East to Bayelsa Central Senatorial districts, the groundswell of opposition has created a political quagmire for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
At the centre of the zoning controversy are some influential political stakeholders close to the Dickson government and they are squaring up with the eight National Assembly members that boasts of impressive war chest.
As the 2015 election approaches, flash­points that would attract more than a passing interest are the three senatorial districts and five federal constituencies as the political gladiators are not about to shift ground in a battle that would either end the political career of some politicians or reinforce the political strength of others.
Before the crack
In the build up to the 2007 general elec­tions, there was a fierce political battle between President Goodluck Jonathan who was governor then and Chief Ndutimi Alaibe for the soul of the PDP in the state.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was caught in the middle as Jonathan and Alaibe could be regarded as his political sons. In a bid to resolve the political logjam, Obasanjo directed both Jonathan and Alaibe to meet and share the National Assembly and State House of Assembly seats giving birth to political harmonisation in Bayelsa state.
Jonathan was given five of the National Assembly seats, comprising of two Senato­rial seats and three House of Representatives seats. Alaibe on the other hand was given two House of Representatives seats and one senatorial seat.
In 2008, all the National Assembly mem­bers had ganged up to deny former governor Timipre Sylva the ticket of the party when the Court of Appeal called for a re-run election. Eventually, Sylva won the ticket and the election but his relationship with the National Assembly members was anything but cordial.
The Doctrine of Necessity threw up by the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua illness in 2010 altered the balance of power as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors wielded enormous power and were given the oppor­tunity to pick National Assembly members. The Presidency had directed the National Assembly members from Bayelsa to reconcile with Sylva if they want a return ticket. All of them expect Senator Amange reconciled with Sylva to get a return ticket.
In the 2011 elections, Lokpobiri and Paulker returned to the Senate, while Ikisikpo replaced Amange as Senator. In the House of Representatives, Henry Ofongo replaced Egberibin; Nadu Karibo replaced Ikisikpo; Jepthan Foingha replaced Belief; Ogoriba retained his seat and attempts to replace Dick­son with Williams Ofoni fell flat on the face.
When the battle to ensure Sylva was dropped as the PDP governorship candidate commenced, all the National Assembly members pitched their tent with Sylva rather than Dickson, who is one of their own in the National Assembly. In several interventions, they wrote under the auspices of National Assembly caucus to the national secretariat of the party on the dangers of replacing Sylva as the candidate of the party. They were not part of the primaries that made Dickson as the candidate of the party and throughout his electioneering campaigns; they shunned the campaign train. Loyalists of the Governor took note of this and commenced under­grounds moves to pay them back in their own coins.
Resurrection of zoning formula
As soon as the PDP Governors, the Board of Trustees and the National Executive Com­mittee of the party adopted Jonathan as the presidential candidate of the party in the 2015 election, political stakeholders in Bayelsa followed suit. While endorsing Jonathan, they also backed Governor Dickson for the 2016 governorship ticket of the party and declared that the 2015 National Assembly seats would be zoned in what close observers of Bayelsa politics said is a way of getting back at the National Assembly members.
The clamour for zoning was kick-started after a meeting convened by Bayelsa East po­litical stakeholders comprising Ogbia, Nembe and Brass Local Government areas. It had in attendance, the Deputy- Governor, Rear Ad­miral John Jonah, King Amalate Jonny Turner and other party bigwigs in the area.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, 95 politicians that attended the meeting voted for the zoning of the National Assembly seats in the district.
If the political stakeholders have their ways, the trio of Senator Ikisikpo, Hon Karibo and Hon Jepthan would kiss the red and green chambers bye when the National Assembly is inaugurated in June 2015.
The same scenario is playing out in Bayelsa Central Senatorial district where the political stakeholders have decided to end the tenure of Senator Paulker and Hon Ogoriba.
In a meeting attended by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt Hon Friday Konbowei Benson, former governor Diepreye Alamieye­seigha and others, they argued that the Senato­rial seat is being rotated among the three local government areas in the district. According to them, Southern Ijaw local government area was represented by Senator David Kobina Brigidi who did two terms of eight years( 1999-2007) and Yenagoa local government area is being represented by Senator Paulker who would have done two terms of eight years( 2007- 2015). They said they have decided to zone the seat to Kolokuma/ Opo­kuma while the House of Representatives seat for Yenagoa/ Kolokuma/ Opokuma federal constituency should move to Yenagoa local government.
Not to be left out are some political stake­holders in Bayelsa West Senatorial district led by the pioneer chairman of the PDP in the state, Engr Charles Dorgu who are champion­ing the zoning arrangement. In the middle of a rally, Dorgu in breach of the programme of events came to the podium to announce that in the interest of peace and stability in the district, the political stakeholders have de­cided to zone the Senatorial seat to Sagbama local government area, while the House of Representatives is zoned to Ekeremor local government area.
Floodgate of protests
The barrage of protests that followed the decision to zone the National Assembly seats threw some of the political stakeholders off balance as political experts in the state are of the view that the resolve of the supporters of the National Assembly members was under­estimated by proponents of zoning.
Eye-witness account said hardly had Dorgu finished his statement on zoning at the Sagbama rally when supporters of Lokpobiri staged a walk-out to take off the shine of the rally.
A furious top party member in Bayelsa West who did not want his name in print said those behind the zoning arrangement have no right to take a decision for the party when it is clear on which party organ can take crucial decisions for the party.
Dismissing some of the political stakeholders as those that cannot deliver their wards in a general election, he said the motive of the champions of zoning is to create political confusion in the state.
“There was a meeting held to deliberate on the endorsement of President Jonathan and Governor Dickson and at no time was a decision taken to zone the National Assembly seats. The Constitution of the PDP is clear and there are organs of the party that can take a de­cision on zoning. Decisions on zoning cannot be taken at a rally. We have decided to endorse President Jonathan for 2015 and Governor Dickson for 2016 but nobody should foist the issue of zoning on the people. It was not even in programme of events “he said.
In a move to douse the tension the issue of zoning had generated, concerned leaders, elders and representatives of the 26 electoral wards led by the highly respected Chief Dennis Daunemigha at a meeting held amidst tight security at Ekeremor said the statements on zoning canvassed at the concluding part of the Sagbama rally were extraneous and clearly beyond the power, scope and authority of the rally.
In Bayelsa East Senatorial district, the political fight is messier as concerted moves were made to prevent supporters of the incumbent National Assembly members from holding a meeting at the Ogbia brotherhood secretariat.
The supporters who moved to another venue during deliberations condemned plans to intimidate supporters of the National Assembly members and endorsed them for another term.
The former chairman of Ogbia local gov­ernment council, Chief Innocent Kaku said that all the lawmakers currently representing the district have not only performed credit­ably well but are also closely working with the President to achieve his transformation agenda. In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Bassuo and others, the stakeholders resolved that “as experience is the best teacher and our representatives are experienced in the legislative business, it is our decision to give them another opportunity for effective representation consolidation and impact meaningfully on the gains of democ­racy.
It further stated: “We totally condemn in strong terms, the zoning arrangement by the purported political stakeholders of the senato­rial district and advised whoever is having any political ambition to come and test his popularity.”
Bayelsa central senatorial district political elites have also thrown their weight behind Paulker and Ogoriba. In a well attended meet­ing, the political elites of the district rejected the zoning arrangement and endorsed the trio of President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Dickson, Senator Paulker and Hon Ogoriba.
Stemming the tide
Those who have closely followed the politics of Bayelsa State said those agitat­ing for zoning are believed to be loyalists of Dickson. In fact, they have told who cares to listen that they have the backing of Jonathan and Dickson in the quest to ensure the zoning arrangement stands. The proponents of zoning argues that those against it should come out clean on the reason why they are opposing it and stop pretending as they are unaware that zoning has been in existence in the state.
The PDP state secretary, Mr Godspower Keku said the party should not be dragged into the zoning controversy as political stake­holders were the ones behind it.
Keku explained that the zoning arrange­ment differs from one senatorial district to the other because of the peculiarity of their political situations.
“Zoning has been the practice of the district right from the time of Chief Melford Okilo when he was in the Senate. They allow their senators to go for one term only.