Dickson Reacts to Diri’s Defection: I’m not leaving PDP, my values haven’t changed

The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Seriake Dickson, has broken his silence following the defection of Governor Douye Diri from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Senator Dickson while speaking with journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, described the move as a major political shift and an unfortunate departure from the ideals that have long guided Bayelsa’s political identity.

The lawmaker confirmed that he had been inundated with calls and messages since news broke of Governor Diri’s defection alongside 14 of the 17 PDP-elected members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and party executives.

“It is a major development in the politics of our state.Our state, which has been in the PDP since 1999 till date, is now midway being donated to the APC free of charge, ” Dickson said.

Dickson, who governed the state from 2012 to 2020, made it clear that despite the political realignment, he remained firmly with the PDP.

His words: “I’ve told all those who have been bombarding me with questions that I am not moving. I am still in the PDP.

”My life and values about constancy, consistency, principles, honour, and loyalty to people and causes have not changed,” he said.

Senator Dickson also took a moment to reflect on his role in sustaining the PDP in Bayelsa and promoting its candidates including Governor Diri, especially after the party lost the presidency in 2015.

According to him, “I, more than anyone, since we lost in the 2015 presidential election, have been at the forefront, bearing the brunt in unspeakable terms of keeping the state PDP and fighting to elevate the governor and everyone else in the state to the current positions which they hold on the platform of the PDP.

“Unfortunate, but he’s entitled to his decision, ” he said.

Senator Dickson expressed disappointment that his successor whom he handpicked primarily to protect the values of the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta, has chosen a different path.

Still, he acknowledged that Gôvernor Diri consulted him several times before the defection, and said the governor was aware of his firm stance.

“It is unfortunate that my hand-picked successor, whose consideration was influenced mainly by the need to protect the values and ideals of the state and of the Ijaw Nation, sees things differently.

“To be fair to the Governor, he consulted me, and we have discussed several times. On each occasion, I told him my position, based on my principles and values which he knows, ” he stated.

Senator Dickson emphasised that the PDP remained a historically inclusive platform, having given the Ijaw people and other minority groups a national voice.

“The PDP gave my people an opportunity to be a Vice President, an Acting President, and a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

‘:Since 2015, I branded it as the party of the Ijaw Nation, just as I branded Bayelsa as the Jerusalem of the Ijaw Nation.

“Real captains don’t abandon ship, “‘ he added.

Taking a swipe at those jumping ship, Senator Dickson likened the situation to a sinking vessel, insisting that real leaders stay on board to save it.

“I believe that captains who are truly deserving of their ranks are the last to bail out.

”Any captain or pilot deserving of his rank and place must do everything to salvage a troubled ship or craft and must be the last to bail out. I believe that time has not come.”

He acknowledged the internal crisis within the PDP, particularly blaming the party’s governors and National Working Committee (NWC) members for mismanaging internal disagreements and weakening party unity.

According to him, I’m aware of the challenges in the party caused by the governors, the lack of leadership and focus of the governors and the members of the Working Committee who decided to tear the party to pieces on irrelevant issues, even up till now.

Still, he reiterated his commitment to rebuilding the PDP from within, just as he had done following the 2015 electoral loss, when he served as Chairman of the PDP National Reconciliation Committee.

“When the PDP lost in 2015, I devoted a lot of time working with others to galvanize and reposition the party.

”We stood our ground to reorganise and save the party and position it for the 2019 election, which we believe we won.”

Senator Dickson, however questioned the motives behind the growing wave of defections to the APC, describing them as often unclear or opportunistic.

“These days, you don’t know what is pursuing most of these governors and leaders defecting to the APC or what they are pursuing. I wish him the best of luck, ” he added.

Dickson’s comments have been widely seen as an attempt to reassure the PDP base in Bayelsa and beyond, reaffirming his role as a steady force in a party now facing both internal and external challenges.