The crisis rocking Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has worsened, despite the intervention of its Board of Trustees (BoT) and reconciliation moves by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
It was gathered that the party had remained in tatters since the BoT’s Acting Chairman Dr. Haliru Mohammed led a team to the state at the behest of Dr Jonathan to resolve the protracted crisis ahead of the December 5 governorship election.
The board, at the August 1 meeting in Jonathan’s courtyard at Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, was said to have lifted the suspension and expulsion of the party’s leaders by the State Working Committee (SWC).
Mohammed was said to have urged aggrieved party members to unite and work for the party’s victory at the election.
As the meeting ended, Governor Seriake Dickson’s camp and other aggrieved leaders engaged in a war of words.
The governor, through his Political Adviser, Mr. Fyneman Wilson, claimed that PDP’s embattled State Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (retd), initially suspended by the SWC, was not among those reinstated by the BoT.
Wilson said the BoT and Jonathan advised Inokoba to resign since his suspension was based on an alleged diversion of N40 million campaign fund.
But PDP members, under the aegis of the Bayelsa Great House (BGH), yesterday said Wilson’s and Dickson’s apologists lied.
They insisted that the BoT reinstate Inokoba as the substantive chairman.
BGH Chairman Ebinimi Owei and Secretary Victor Woyinkuro, who spoke in Yenagoa, the state capital, described the statement credited to Wilson as a cheap political gimmick.
Owei urged Wilson to exhibit wisdom, adding that there was no time any member of the BoT and Jonathan asked Inokoba to resign.
Owei said: “Bayelsans are all aware of the various acknowledgements, recognition and respect accorded Inokoba as one of the founding fathers of the party and as a focused leader. No wonder the National Working Committee (NWC) said he remains the substantive chairman, despite the illegality of the SWC.”
He traced the crisis to the time Wilson emerged as Dickson’s political adviser and Serena Dokubo-Spiff the party’s acting deputy chairman.
He said Wilson’s statement was capable of further dividing the party and narrowing the re-election chances of his principal (Dickson).
Inokoba said: “Wilson should be galvanising and mobilising more support base for his principal…
“After the decision of the BoT, reinstating suspended and expelled members, the SWC issued a statement, claiming that the action of the BoT was subject to the ratification of the SWC. Which is superior: the BoT or the SWC?
“This simply shows the lawlessness of the present administration, the absence of the rule of law and the kind of persons running the affairs of the state.”
Owei recalled that during a meeting at the Government House on July 30, Dickson allegedly apologised and confessed to Inokoba that he (governor) was aware that Inokoba did not divert any money.
He said the governor blamed the allegation against Inokoba on sycophants in his administration, adding that PDP’s Acting National Chairman Uche Secondus and its national secretary were at the meeting,
Extolling Inokoba’s virtues, he said: “If this ungodly act, persecution, lies and witch-hunt continue in the party, we shall advise Inokoba and other aggrieved members to leave for desperate and wicked politicians.”
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