Politics 2023: Voters Demonstrates Power In Bayelsa, Others
It has been reported that political godsons outsmarted their godfathers at Cross River, Delta, and Akwa Ibom States in the South-South region, in the just concluded elections, one state, Bayelsa, came out strange to both sides, signalling a new dawn in the riverine state.
Normally, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, the governor, Senator Douye Diri, and ex-governor, Senator Seriake Dickson are the prominent power brokers in the state, where the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, does not play enveloping politics.
They dictated the tempo of politics in the state. However, they could not exercise such power in the February 25 and March 18 presidential/National Assembly polls, and state House of Assembly elections.
In fact, the outcome of the 2023 general elections in the predominantly riverine state has shown that godfathers and power brokers are gradually waning.
Voters Demonstrates Power
This partly explained the reason many of the incumbent lawmakers at the state and National Assembly polls lost woefully in their return bid.
Prior to the general elections, many had thought the power of incumbency and godfathers would shape the voting pattern at the polls, but grassroots campaigns and the willpower of the electorate have turned out to be a deciding factor.
The plethora of upsets recorded in the East senatorial district and some constituencies in the Central senatorial districts of Chief Sylva, who is also the leader of the APC in the state, and Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, respectively, showed the new inclination.
Politics 2023: Voters demonstrates power in Bayelsa.
