Wike played role in PDP loss in Bayelsa — Dickson

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has described the recent utterances by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, against the revered Ijaw monarch and Amayanabo of Kalabari, King Theophilus Princewill, and the Ijaw people in Rivers State as childish, unguarded and unbecoming of a leader.

Dickson, during a media chat at the government house in Yenagoa yesterday, accused Wike of disrespecting Ijaw people in his domain and attempting to create confusion in Bayelsa State.

He said the Rivers State governor played a pivotal role in the PDP loss in Bayelsa State during the November 16, 2019 governorship election, and warned him to leave the state alone because Bayelsa is not an annexed part of Rivers State.

Governor Wike had threatened to dethrone the Amayanabo of Kalabari Kingdom in Rivers State, an Ijaw speaking tribe in the state for hosting Governor Dickson of Bayelsa State, who was in the state to show solidarity with Ijaw people. Dickson said: “You will recall that the governor of our neighbouring state, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, is used to making careless and very childish remarks from time to time. Recently, he went on his usual habit.

This is the first time I formally react to Wike’s childishness. “I have ignored him with pains and redress, all his previous attempts to belittle Bayelsa State, and to intimidate our state and its leadership. “Out of respect for our people in Rivers State, I always shy away from Wike’s unguarded utterances, but this time around, no. So, I want to use this opportunity to condemn the way and manner he threatened and is showing disrespect to Ijaw leaders in Rivers State.

“And I want to particularly respond to what he said about my visit to our revered leader and father, the Amayanabo of Kalabari, that is a 90-year-old man, and you all know that during the National Assembly election and his own election, a lot of Ijaw sons and daughters were killed in Kalabari, Rivers State, so that was why I showed sympathy and solidarity to our Ijaw people in Rivers State.

“I tried to reach him as the Governor of Rivers State, but he has cut all the channels of communication from Bayelsa State, though the governor of Bayelsa State doesn’t need Wike’s permission to visit Ijaw people in Rivers State, Bayelsa is not an annexed part of Rivers State. So, this nonsense of Wike must stop.

“Wike should stop treating and seeing Bayelsa as annexed part of Rivers State; Wike should stop interfering in the politics of Bayelsa State. You all know what he did during the PDP primaries in our state, and the role he played in supporting the APC to win Bayelsa State,” Dickson said