The immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson has slammed his successor and governor, Senator Douye Diri’s defection to the All Progressives Congress APC
Dickson, while speaking to reporters after Wednesday, October 15, 2025, Senate plenary cautioned against the erosion of Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and reaffirmed his loyalty to PDP.
The former Bayelsa governor described himself as a “soldier of democracy,” vowing to continue championing political pluralism in the country.
“I am where I have always been. I don’t believe Nigeria should become a one-party state. As a democrat, I understand the ups and downs of the political process, but I remain constant and steadfast in the PDP.”
He criticized Diri and other defecting PDP leaders for abandoning the party during turbulent times, accusing them of failing to provide the leadership needed to resolve internal crises.
“It’s unfortunate. Rather than address the issues within the party, they allowed the problems to deepen and now they’re walking away.
“This weakens our democracy, tarnishes Nigeria’s image, and threatens the very foundation of multiparty politics.
“What we are seeing is political class suicide.”
Dickson also revealed that the governor had consulted him before making the switch to the APC, but said he found the justifications unconvincing.
Also see: Bayelsa State Governor Dumps PDP, Backed by Majority of State Lawmakers
“To his credit, he reached out to me. But I didn’t see any compelling reason to defect. I remain with the PDP, the party that empowered my people to produce a vice president, an ACTING president, and a president of the federal republic. That’s something the APC cannot claim.”
He warned that if the PDP collapses, the consequences for Nigerian democracy would be severe.
“If we fail to rescue the PDP, then we must reassess our path but joining the APC is not the answer. A democracy without opposition is nothing short of a dictatorship.”
