Former President of the Ijaw Youth Congress, Udengs Eradiri, has called on Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, to publicly declare his affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing him of secretly aligning with the ruling party while still parading himself as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Eradiri, who made the remarks on Thursday in Yenagoa during an interaction with members of the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bayelsa State, also urged Senator Seriake Dickson to defect to the APC. According to him, aligning the Ijaw nation with the federal ruling party would ensure better representation and access to national decision-making platforms.
“Governor Diri has been a beneficiary of the Asiwaju government. He should stop fraternizing with the APC at night and pretending to be PDP during the day. If he is already enjoying the largesse of the federal government, then it is only proper that he is seen with the ‘glove’ of the APC,” Eradiri said.
He added: “Governor Diri has served as a House of Reps member and senator. Senator Seriake Dickson has also been a reps member, governor, and now a senator. They both have the capacity to sit at the national table of discourse and ensure the Ijaw nation is represented.”
Eradiri emphasized that politics in Nigeria has moved beyond ethnic sentiments and that the Ijaw people must adapt to the political realities to secure their interests.
“Today, the Senate President and Nyesom Wike determine what happens in the Niger Delta. When Wike said we are a minority, many shouted in outrage, but he was stating a political reality. Look at the South-South Development Commission—Bayelsa, which once held a juicy position, was stripped down to just one executive director,” he said.
He argued that had Dickson or Diri been on that decision-making table, the outcome would likely have been different. “Just like Hope Uzodimma and Sheriff Oborevwori are being consulted to protect their states’ and ethnic groups’ interests, Bayelsa deserves that strategic positioning too,” he said.
Asserting that the Ijaw are the fourth-largest ethnic nationality and contribute significantly to the country’s economy, Eradiri said they deserve a seat at the table where national interests are negotiated and shared.
“If Governor Diri joins the APC, Bayelsa politics will become less confrontational. It will reduce the ‘winner takes all’ mentality. His presence in the APC will also strengthen the Ijaw cause, not just in terms of development, but in strategic engagement,” Eradiri added.
He noted that Senator Dickson, given his experience in opposition, should lead the way by officially joining the APC to secure Ijaw interests at the federal level.
However, Eradiri expressed concern over the APC’s open-door policy, warning that it could lead to internal crisis.
“My fear for the APC is that we may be shooting ourselves in the foot with this open-door policy. Some of these governors have lost touch with the grassroots. Let us build a situation where it’s Nigerians versus the APC, not APC versus itself,” he said.
