Why pressure is on Bayelsa Speaker, Isenah, to resign tomorrow

Amid political intrigues, there are indications that the Speaker of Bayelsa State of Assembly, Tonye Isenah may quit his position tomorrow.

Even though Isenah claimed he has not formally resigned from office, The Guardian gathered that Governor Seriake Dickson and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains, who were instrumental to his emergence, have prevailed on him to resign.

A source close to the governor told The Guardian that the pressure on Isenah to resign is because he hails from the same Kolokuma/Opukuma Local Council as the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Douye Diri.

According to him, it will be politically incongruous and unfair, in the event that Diri wins the November 16 governorship election, for him and the Speaker to come from the same State constituency.

“The Speaker is from Odi and Senator Diri is from Sampou, in the Kolokuma/Opukuma LGA and same State constituency. The concern of the governor is that the Speaker and his likely successor cannot come from the same place. The governor who made him Speaker knew what he was doing from the inception. It is politics. Nobody expected Isenah to be Speaker. At the inception of this new legislative session, the lawmaker many expected would have been Speaker was Monday Obolo, who represents Southern Ijaw Constituency 3. Obolo is a third term lawmaker.

The PDP and the governor are looking for a Speaker from Southern Ijaw where the APC governorship candidate, David Lyon hails from. The PDP divide votes in Southern Ijaw, which has the highest number of registered indigenous Bayeslans,” he said.

The source explained that at the commencement of this legislative session, Governor Dickson and some key PDP chieftains held discussion with Isenah about the plot to prop him up for the position of Speaker. Under the agreement, he would remain in the office during this transition period, afterward, he will resign if Senator Diri eventually gets the PDP governorship ticket and he agreed.

When contacted, Isenah told The Guardian that he has not resigned his position as Speaker. According to him: “I have not resigned please. I think you should wait until Monday.”