Senator Dickson Breaks Silence: Rejects Defection to APC, Backs Amupitan for INEC Chair
Former Bayelsa State Governor and current Senator, Henry Seriake Dickson, has firmly rejected the wave of defections hitting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asserting his loyalty to the party even after his hand-picked successor, Governor Duoye Diri, and the majority of the State Assembly members defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement to the media and the Senate Press Corps, Senator Dickson confirmed that despite the political upheaval in his home state, his commitment to the PDP has not changed.
“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,” Dickson said, describing the defection of Governor Diri and 14 out of 17 PDP State Assembly members as donating the state “to the APC free of charge.”
He lamented the move, stating that he bore the brunt of keeping the state PDP since 2015 and positioned Diri, his “hand-picked successor,” for the office. He stressed that the PDP holds a special place for the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta, having provided the region with a Vice President, Acting President, and a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dickson Backs INEC Nominee Amupitan
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Meanwhile, Senator Dickson also announced his support for the confirmation of President Tinubu’s nominee for INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN.
The Senator, a member of the Committee on Electoral Matters, addressed concerns about the nominee’s alleged ties to the President’s legal team during the last election petitions.
“I have made a lot of inquiries, and I have been told that the nominee was not a member of the President’s legal team, and that the name is being confused with another professor—Professor Osipitan—also a Professor of Law, but in Lagos, not the nominee,” Dickson clarified.
He added that even if the nominee had provided professional legal services, he would still require evidence of partisan or political involvement, as lawyers are professionally duty-bound to accept briefs.
Dickson praised the choice of Amupitan, noting that he is the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria appointed to the office, a factor that “speaks a lot” for the nominee’s integrity and awareness of his place in history.
Call for Peace Amidst Political Changes
Addressing the political volatility in Bayelsa State, Senator Dickson revealed that he had consulted with Governor Diri several times, stating that his position on principled loyalty remained clear.
He urged all citizens in Bayelsa to remain calm and peaceful, cautioning against allowing the unfolding politicking to undermine the stability secured in the state over the last 15 years. Dickson pledged to consult with other party leaders to begin the process of repositioning the PDP as the opposition in the state.
By PRNigeria
