• ‘Benson’s defection cements APC’s grip on the Senate’
• PDP acknowledges Diri’s resignation, Bayelsa indigenes okay gov’s decision

Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West) could not take it, yesterday, when Senator Konbowei Benson (Bayelsa Central) crossed over to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); hence, he walked out of the chamber.
 
Analysts believe that Benson’s defection cements APC’s grip on the Senate, giving the party a super-majority of 74 members out of 109. His governor, Douye Diri, his cabinet members, members of the House of Assembly, and the eight local council chairmen resigned from the PDP the previous day.
 
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa PDP has formally accepted Diri’s resignation from the party.
 
It was barely 24 hours after Diri shocked his supporters by quitting the PDP, a move that now appears to have set off a domino effect in the oil-rich state.
 
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, with an unmistakable smile, read Konbowei’s defection letter aloud. As his words sank in, APC senators rose to embrace their newest member, and the chamber briefly turned into a scene of celebration rather than legislation.
 
But not everyone joined in the applause.

Across the aisle, Dickson sat motionless, his face betraying disbelief. Then, without a word, he packed his files, rose and walked out.
 
Akpabio, half in jest, half in rebuke, called after him: “Leader of the Bayelsa Caucus, you shouldn’t be leaving when such an important letter is being read!”
 
Dickson didn’t stop. “I have more important things to attend to,” he said curtly, as cameras swung his way.
 
Outside the chamber, his earlier warning echoed louder: Nigeria’s democracy was drifting towards a dangerous imbalance.
 
“A democracy without opposition ceases to be a democracy,” Dickson had said on Wednesday. “It becomes dictatorship and totalitarianism.”

For the PDP, Konbowei’s defection marks another blow in a region once considered its impregnable fortress.

For Bayelsa, it signals a deep political realignment. But for Dickson, the walkout may be remembered as both a protest and a lonely stand for the principle of opposition in a democracy tilting towards one-party dominance.
 
In a letter to the Senate President, Konbowei stated that his decision to resign was a result of the unpleasant circumstances within the PDP.
 
He said that after due consultation with his family, associates, and political leaders, he resolved to join Diri in resigning from the party.
 
“In coming to this decision, I have taken a deep look at the protracted leadership crisis and the division that resulted from the competition for power within the PDP, especially at the national level. I have lost hope in the PDP’s capacity to play the role of a political party.
 
“I am, therefore, left with no option but to resign my membership of the PDP and move to the APC. I am grateful to the uncommon transformer and President of the Senate, who has provided uncommon love, kindness and leadership in the Senate,” Konbowei said.
 
‎Also, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state backed Diri’s decision to resign from PDP.
 
‎The association, at a briefing in Yenagoa, stated that they stand “where the governor stands”.

During an emergency meeting of the State Working Committee (SWC) of PDP on Wednesday evening in Yenagoa, party officials confirmed the receipt of the governor’s resignation letter with utmost respect.
 
According to the PDP, the letter was addressed to the Kolga Ward 6 Chairman and copied to the SWC.
 
In a statement issued after the meeting, the party leadership expressed deep appreciation for Diri’s exemplary leadership, commitment to democratic ideals, and cordial relationship with stakeholders and members throughout his tenure as a PDP member.
 
While acknowledging his decision to resign, the PDP assured members that its structures in Bayelsa remain intact, united and focused on advancing the collective goals of the party.

Also backing Diri’s decision to dump the PDP, Bayelsa chapter of the Indigenes Without Borders Foundation, led by Nathaniel Opokumo, urged all stakeholders to uphold the sanctity of democracy by respecting the constitutional right to freedom of association.
 
The foundation maintained that while Diri reserves the right to join any political association of his choice, elected officials who choose to remain in the PDP should be allowed to continue performing their duties without intimidation or threats.