Latest reports indicate that Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and lawmakers from the state are currently embroiled in a clash over a recent deal the Presidency had with members of the National Assembly ahead the 2015 general elections.
It was reported last week that President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the PDP had agreed with aggrieved senators of the party for the return of at least two senators per state.
This was after the Senate had abruptly adjourned sitting last week, to discuss ways on how to confront President Jonathan and the PDP over their displeasure with the conduct of their party’s ward congresses.(contiue)
According to Sunnewsonline report, Governor Dickson has vowed to stop all National Assembly members as well as state lawmakers from seeking re-election in 2015.
It was gathered from a source that the governor has already rejected the deal, vowing to ensure that most of the senators and House of Representatives members from the state do not get their return tickets to the National Assembly in 2015.
The source said Governor Dickson claimed that the agreement between the Presidency and the senators was not binding on Bayelsa, because the state ‘is peculiar’.
“We are watching events as they unfold; I think at our end in Bayelsa State, whatever agreement the Presidency must have reached with the senators is unlikely to have any binding effect on us because Bayelsa state is peculiar.
“When we heard the news, some of us tried to know from the governor if it was true, but he assured us that none of the National Assembly members affected by the zoning formular will return, even if an agreement has been reached in Abuja; in fact he was very livid.
“This matter is not for the Presidency to discuss with the senators, because most of them, especially those from Bayelsa are unelectable elements who cannot even win their wards; this time around,, we will impress it on the Presidency to stay away from this, because we are tired of this back and forth development.
“As far as we are concerned, Abuja cannot decide for us in Bayelsa here; we have a leader of the party who is the governor and self-seeking National Assembly members cannot hide under the Presidency to return to their businesses under the guise of aspirations.
“What we are saying in Bayelsa is that our earlier zoning stands, irrespective of whatever Abuja had decided and it is only the grassroot people that will decide who returns, and we shall ensure that this stays in the consciousness of the people because their decision has to stand,” he said.
It was gathered that stakeholders of the PDP allegedly supported by Governor Dickson, had four weeks ago, purportedly adopted a zoning formula across the state for elective offices in 2015.
It was gathered that the zoning of the offices saw to the shutting out of all current National Assembly members from the state.
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