Former Bayelsa State governor and senator representing Bayelsa West Seriake Dickson has declared that he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite the defection of governor Douye Diri and other party officials to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Dickson stated this on Wednesday while addressing journalists and members of the Senate Press Corps in Abuja.
The lawmaker also said he would vote to confirm President Bola Tinubu’s nominee, Prof. Joash Amupitan, as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He explained that his decision was based on available facts, noting that he had verified claims suggesting that the nominee was a member of President Tinubu’s legal team during the 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, who is based in Lagos,” Dickson said.
He added that professional service by lawyers should not automatically be considered evidence of political partisanship.
Dickson noted that Mr Amupitan’s nomination marks the first time a senior advocate of Nigeria has been appointed to head INEC.
He urged the nominee, if confirmed, to remain conscious of the responsibility of the office.
Speaking on the political development in Bayelsa, Dickson confirmed reports that governor Diri, along with 14 members of the state House of Assembly and party executives, had resigned from the PDP.
He said the defection was a major political event but maintained that he would not follow suit.
“I am not moving. I am still in the PDP. My life and values about constancy, consistency, principles, honour, and loyalty have not changed,” he said.
The senator added that his decision to remain in the PDP was in line with his commitment to the values and ideals of the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta.
Seriake Dickson acknowledged the internal challenges facing the PDP but said he would continue working with other party leaders to reposition it as an opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I will consult with other leaders of the party to begin the process of repositioning the PDP as the opposition that we have suddenly become,” he said.
