Before now, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson frequently boasted of the stability of Bayelsa State in political terms, saying it is the most stable state in Nigeria, but that claim seems to have fizzled away due to the unfolding impeachment saga that rocked the Bayelsa State House of Assembly on Monday, September 30, 2019.
It was expected to be a simple event, the Speaker, Tonye Emmanuel Isenah (Kolokuma/Opokuma 1) handing in his resignation and Monday Bubou Obolo (Southern Ijaw 2) being elected as his replacement and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s ship sailing on towards the November 16 governorship election.
However, Isenah did not resign but rather closed plenary, announcing a recess for the House which was due anyway and on argument that the National Assembly was on recess, and together with one PDP and four All Progressives Congress (APC) members leaving the floor.
There was to be more drama as the mace was ‘stolen’ from the clerk by gun-toting youths numbering over 20 who shot sporadically into the air while policemen watched the development calmly and a black jeep with engine steaming at the premises was on hand to move away the mace.
As if that was not all, in the pandemonium caused by the shooting, journalists were asked to vacate the press gallery and the other PDP members sat and improvised a mace from the Yenagoa Local Government Council to impeach Isenah and elect Obolo as the new speaker.
The 18 or 17 members who carried out the impeachment presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Abraham Ingobere (Brass 3) alleged that Isenah committed acts of gross misconduct, which they did not innumerate or elaborate.
While some concerned stakeholders are wondering what went wrong and trying to get to really understand the rapidly unfolding events, Isenah reacted to the development, claiming that he remained Speaker as a wrong mace was used to impeach him and that he would go to court to challenge what he described as an illegality.
Meanwhile, Governor Dickson has congratulated Obolo as the new Speaker, an indication that the development at the House has his seal of approval, but with Isenah saying he remained the Speaker, it is creating a crisis that could undermine PDP’s efforts to maintain its hold on Bayelsa State.
Whether the development is part of the trait the party has been known for is intriguing, especially given the fact that Governor Dickson played down insinuations that the Speaker was under pressure to resign during his media chat exactly a week earlier on Monday, September 24.
Prior to Monday’s sitting, the grapevine had it that Isenah had bowed to pressure and agreed to resign in line with the party decision to realign the balance of power since he hails from the same Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area as Douye Diri, the party’s candidate for the November 16 governorship election.
Particularly last Friday when the news that he had agreed to resign broke, it was even speculated that he had resigned, but it was much later that it was gathered that he would resign during Monday’s session and journalists and others were only present to witness his resignation.
But, a defiant Isenah stated that “I did not resign, neither was I impeached. I presided over the house and I did not preside as an impeached speaker, so as we speak the house is on recess and anything done by anyone is a nullity. The speculation that there was an understanding that I will resign is false, I challenge anyone canvassing that position to come up with a proof.”
Unless the PDP moves quickly to resolve any issues from Monday’s action, political analysts foresee a long drawn legal tussle for the Speakership with a scenario of possibly two speakers emerging and each one laying claim to the office until the final pronouncement by a court.
A member of the House of Assembly who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that there was tension around the House of Assembly Complex and that the PDP leadership had advised Isenah to resign or face impeachment for the party to realign the balance of power since Isenah hails from the same area as PDP’s candidate.
The legislator said Isenah believed that his resignation was premature and can only happen after the polls while the party believes that zoning the Speakership to Southern Ijaw, the local government area where the candidate of the APC hails from might sway voters.
It is believed that he would have resigned peacefully if not for the backing of his kinsmen at a solidarity rally which was organised at Kaiama, headquarters of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, last Saturday where he was said to have formally announced his intended resignation to his people.
Aside that, there is this allegation that Isenah has reached an understanding with the APC, an allegation that was strengthened by the fact that all four APC members of the House of Assembly left the floor of the House with him before the impeachment took place.
This is the fourth time that a Speaker has been impeached in the House of Assembly with the first two occurring during the tenure of the late Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and the last two taking place under the watch of Governor Dickson.
Heineken Lokpobiri was impeached over his growing influence while Boyelayefa Debekeme was removed as a prelude to the impeachment of Alamieyeseigha as he vehemently opposed the governor’s removal.
In Dickson’s tenure, immediate past Speaker, Friday Konbowei Benson was impeached, but the national leadership of the PDP reversed it especially as it was against the governor’s wish, but this time, he is in support of Isenah’s removal ostensibly to realise a bigger objective.
During the impeachment of Lokpobiri, an improvised explosive device was detonated at the House of Assembly Complex even with heavy police presence akin to the palpable tension that was concomitant with Isenah’s impeachment.
Some political observers are of the opinion that the move to pacify voters in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area with the Speakership may be coming rather late going by recent developments surrounding the political fortunes of Benson since he contested the Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency and lost.
It is believed that his loss marked the collapse of PDP in Southern Ijaw and shifted the balance of power to the opposition APC although that still remains to be proven particularly during the forthcoming governorship election where APC candidate, David Lyon hails from.
Isenah is from Odi community which has one of the largest voting populations in the local government area while the PDP governorship flag bearer, Diri hails from Sampou, a smaller neighbouring community.
So, the PDP political calculation to appease Southern Ijaw with the Speakership though apt could come at a significant loss in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area where former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) managing director, Ndutimi Alaibe also hails from unless the situation is swiftly brought under control.
A one-time member of the Red Chamber, Inatimi Rufus-Spiff has a serious assignment on his hands to bring all aggrieved persons back to the PDP fold and he has to work his socks off as November 16 is by the corner.
