Bayelsa: Timi Alaibe becomes beautiful bride, PDP, Seriake Dickson beg him over Governor Diri

February 16, 2020
The pioneer Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty for Niger Delta militants, Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, had promised to deploy the amnesty template to tackle insecurity in Bayelsa if elected governor  has, overnight, turned into a beautiful bride for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State following last Friday’s swearing in of Senator Douye Diri as governor.

A former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Alaibe, is being seriously courted by the party’s top hierarchy and the immediate past governor of the state, Seriake Dickson, to stop his ongoing litigation which they strongly believe could truncate Diri’s tenure.

The former NDDC MD, who contested the PDP’s governorship ticket with Diri during the primaries is currently in court seeking an order that he be declared the validly nominated governorship candidate of the party.

He was heavily backed by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for the race but lost in the primaries to Dickson’s candidate, Diri.

Jonathan and many other PDP top shots were alleged to have switched their support to the All Progressives Congress, APC candidate, David Lyon, on the basis of Dickson’s preference for Diri.

Lyon went ahead to win the election only for the Supreme Court to void his victory last Thursday, citing presentation of forged documents by his running mate, Senator Degi Ermienyo.

But the  APC is insisting on a fresh governorship election in the state.

Moment after his swearing in on Friday evening, Diri, accompanied by Dickson and the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus went to see Jonathan in his hometown, Otuoke.

It was gathered that the move was to beg the ex-President to prevail on Alaibe to drop his litigation against Diri.

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.

The emergence of Diri as governor, sources said, has presented Dickson and his party a rare opportunity to reclaim the political leadership of the state earlier lost to the APC last November.

Sources close to the former governor said: “He was struck beyond words when the judgement was pronounced. He never thought the APC would be denied the opportunity to carry out their plans against him.”

To kick-start a process of reconciliation within the party in Bayelsa and beyond, Dickson reportedly 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.

This new position, which runs contrary to his earlier stance, it was learnt, was communicated to his allies, shortly before he handed over to Diri on Friday.

“The governor (Dickson) made it clear he would be seeking reconciliation. He begged his allies and associates, including the new Governor and his deputy to be ready to work with him to make peace and reposition the party in the coming days.

This explains why Governor Diri wasted no time to visit former President Jonathan with his Certificate of Return. Dickson also hinted on reaching out to Governor Wike of Rivers State, Timi Alaibe and other party leaders within and outside Bayelsa as part of the peace moves.

“In a way, even before the Supreme Court judgment, we in Dickson’s camp had observed some mistakes on our part. We saw that some things could have been better managed.

Politics is dynamic and we were looking forward to correcting some of those mistakes. But with the opportunity given us by the Supreme Court judgement, the quest for peace is now doubled.

Dickson would be working hard to ensure that all those who left PDP in Bayelsa as a result of one grievance or the other are persuaded to return.

“He will also look beyond the state and extend the olive branch. What else will he be fighting for? God gave him a second chance to right the wrongs and that is exactly what he said he will be doing with the support of the new governor and other party leaders within and outside the state.

He is the greatest beneficiary of the twist of fate that saw Diri become governor after the internal crisis within the PDP dashed APC the governorship on a platter of gold.

What we need to do is to convince Bayelsans that we have learnt our lessons and they will embrace the PDP which is the only true party of the people of the state,” he added.

Complaining of irregularities, Alaibe had immediately after the PDP primaries filed a case against Diri’s candidature at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, the state capital.

In Suit No: FHC/YNG/CS/99/2019, 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.

The case was later moved to Owerri when Alaibe complained about security in Yenagoa. On the 15th of October, 2019, Justice Jane Inyang, who was hearing the matter, announced the sudden transfer of the case to Abuja.

She cited an order of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court as the reason for the transfer. The matter came up for hearing only on the 8th of November 2019 when the matter was adjourned till 15 November 2019, the eve of the Bayelsa election.

Following a petition against Justice Inyang by Alaibe, alleging lack of confidence in her ability to ensure a fair trial of the matter, the case was adjourned indefinitely to enable the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, who had directed Justice Inyang to respond to the petition, conclude investigations into the petition.