Will Gov Douye Diri's reconciliatory move yield the desired result?

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri has started his new administration on a reconciliatory note by extending a hand of fellowship to contending political forces in the state. But will the move yield the desired result? 

Mr.Douye Diri, the 5th governor of Bayelsa State, has upon assumption of office, been trying to define his administration as a one bent on unifying the contending political forces in the state along the path of peace and development.

But this is expected in the light of the backlash and protests that trailed his emergence as governor following a Supreme Court verdict which annulled the electoral mandate of the then governor-elect, David Lyon because  his running mate, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, was guilty of presenting false information regarding his certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC).

Lyon, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate had defeated Diri, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the November 16, 2019 governorship election. Although, Lyon’s victory was popular, many pundits believe that Diri lost largely because of a protest vote against the immediate past governor, Seriake Dickson, who was his political godfather.

As such, when the news of Lyon’s sack hit the streets of Yenogoa, the state capital, protests erupted, despite the jubilations in Dickson’s camp.

For Diri, the signs were clear, he needed to heal wounds. Perhaps, a clear departure from the politics of his predecessor, was anticipated. This is more so that the PDP leadership had charged him to immediately commence a reconciliation process in the state.

Diri set the stage for reconciliation during the swearing-in of himself and Ewhrudjakpo.

Although the ceremony was low key by default of the rush to avoid a vacuum in the state house and the raging security concerns, it helped to play down any impression of gloating over the victory.

The swearing-in which was conducted inside the Government House was administered by the state chief judge, Justice Kate Abiri, amidst heavy security.

In his inaugural speech, Diri left no one in doubt about his intention to heal wounds opened by the Supreme Court decision. He described his ascension to power as the hand work of God, urging PDP members to be magnanimous in victory.

He said: “I and my deputy bring hope and prosperity to Bayelsa State, that is why we urge Bayelsans to learn to forgive one another, we come to serve the people of this great state, and serve as the instrument of peace.

“It’s a day that God has made, and a day marvellous in our eyes, my dear people of Bayelsa State, this is a state that we all wanted to create, as a serving member of Ijaw National Congress, (INC) we traversed the length and breadth of Nigeria and all of us wanting to create a state that can develop our region and our area, today, we have a state and we must develop it.

“As we have been sworn in as the governor and deputy, my advice to our party, the PDP, is that we have to be magnanimous in victory”

He charged the members against bitterness and  acrimony, noting that “if we kill ourselves, who are we going to lead, that is why we bring the message of love to Bayelsa State, we must eschew bitterness and acrimony and learn to love ourselves.

“Whether from the same party or different party, primarily, we are brothers and sisters from the same state, our creed today is to serve Bayelsa people and bring prosperity to Bayelsa State,” he said.

Diri also urged the minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva,  the APC governorship candidate in the last election, Chief David Lyon, and other opposition parties to join hands with him in building the state.

Speaking during a thanksgiving service at the Glory land Chapel, Government House, Governor Diri, declared that he would run an all-inclusive government.

The governor who thanked God for giving him the mandate, urged his supporters to be magnanimous in victory.”I will be governor of all, be it PDP, APC and others. We must remain united and ensure peace in our land. That is the only time we can be talking of development. Let us work together.”, he said.

The governor said that his priority is to bring development to every part of Bayelsa and that he is willing to consider even members of the opposition parties for appointments.

“Our administration will not condone crimes and criminalities. No development can take place in the atmosphere devoid of peace”, Diri stated.

In his sermon, the guest preacher, Apostle Zilly Aggrey of Royal House of Grace International, said no man should take the glory for the declaration of Governor Diri as governor by the Supreme court.

Apostle Aggrey warned against frivolities in governance and urged the governor to be wary of bootlickers, sycophants and praise singers who would run down other people for personal gains.

The cleric noted that Bayelsa is rich in resources to be poor and charged Diri to initiate projects that will have direct bearings on the people.

“Every community in Bayelsa should have good water to drink. You should work with the Koreans, Chinese, Germans and other good nations to bring development. Our youths need jobs”, Aggrey said.

Apostle Aggrey called on the people to continue to pray for the governor and the deputy governor, to provide them effective leadership.

Diri’s style and disposition to unity irrespective of political parties was endorsed by former President Goodluck Jonathan.  Jonathan, who congratulated him on his his mandate and advised him to build bridges of unity among the people of the state.

The former president, in his congratulatory message  described Diri’s emergence as governor as divine, insisting however that he should use the position to do good to humanity and pursue the development of the state in order to write his name in gold.

“As Governor, the responsibility of building hope and sustaining peace across the State now lies on your shoulders. I urge you to always bear in mind that you are the Governor of all Bayelsans and to seize this moment of glory to build bridges of unity by entrenching a culture of love, fairness and justice in our polity.

“Your journey to Creek Haven is a divine one, so I advise you to use the position to do good to humanity and pursue the development of the State in order to write your name in gold. You have worked with me before as a commissioner, so I am without doubt that you will live up to the expectations of our people.

“I call on all Bayelsans to be law-abiding, peaceful and embrace this transition in all sincerity, and work together towards a united and prosperous State,” Jonathan said.

The governor had formally presented his certificate of return to Jonathan. Beyond the formality of the presentation, many believed that it was a process of distancing himself from whatever issues his predecessor and benefactor, had with Jonathan.

The sore relationship between Jonathan and Dickson had largely snowballed into the crisis that affected the PDP during the governorship election.

Nevertheless, a critical aspect of his peace moves remains within his party. The outcome of the party primaries had seen major stakeholders withdraw from the party. But how Diri interfaces with one of the top PDP aspirant, former managing director of NDDC, Timi Alaibe, will be instructive.

Alaibe who described the primary that produced the governor as flawed had gone to court to demand that he be declared the candidate of the party. The case is said to be causing unrest within the camp of the former governor.

Overtures have been made to Alaibe to step down his case. But it remains unclear whether the move will yield the expected result.

In furtherance of his peace efforts however, Diri has met with members of the State House of Assembly. He dismissed alleged last minute attempts and secret meetings had by the PDP legislators to decamp to the opposition party in the bid to attain principal offices of the Assembly and assured them of good working relationship.

The governor called for the co-operation and support of the lawmakers in the new order to meet the aspirations of the people.

“Let us join hands to build Bayelsa State. We must leave a legacy of development, love and hope for our people. Our state is in dire need of development in all facets. Education for instance is the bedrock and foundation of any society. We will invest more in critical infrastructure,” Diri said.

He also declared that he would be the servant and not masters to the people of the state.

Governor Diri said the people must eschew violence and work for peace in the state.

Diri stated, “We cannot use our hands to destroy the state we all sought to have. All the feuding parties should stop and let us see ourselves as brothers and sisters. Then, focus on things that will bring us together. That is when we can experience development”. The governor called for genuine reconciliation and restated that he is governor to all Bayelsans and not a PDP governor.

He also promised to forward the 2020 budget proposal to the House of Assembly for consideration. Governor Diri, however, said the meeting with the lawmakers was part of the process for the submission of the bill.

“There is no time at all. We want to hit the ground running, hence this meeting with you all. Let me assure you that the document will come in no distant time. This is the synergy we need to ensure development of the state, Diri stated.

The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Monday Bubou-Obolo who said the lawmakers were on a visit to formally congratulate Diri and his deputy, assured that the Assembly made up of both members of  the ruling PDP and opposition APC, is ready to work with the executive arm of government for the development of the state. He said the members have confidence on the governor and deputy governor to deliver on their mandate.

As it stands the opposition camps still view the style adopted Diri as patronising in view of the circumstances which threw him up as governor.

According to one of Diri’s supporters, Ebiowe Charlse, the governor’s style of “wound healing” draws from his experience as holder of Bachelors of Education degree in Political Science at the University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

He added that Diri’s role in the state having served as “first national organising secretary of the  Ijaw National Congress (INC); executive secretary of the Centre for Youth Development in Bayelsa State; commissioner for Youth and Sports; chairman of PDP Disciplinary Council, Bayelsa State; deputy chief of staff, Government House; and the principal executive secretary to Governor Dickson, may have equipped him for the task of governing the state.