Former Labour Party governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Udengs Eradiri, has called on the Ijaw ethnic group and the people of Bayelsa State to reconsider their political alignment by embracing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasizing that doing so would ensure their strategic presence in Nigeria’s power-sharing equation.
Eradiri made this call during an exclusive interview, where he addressed the ongoing political rift between the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. He lamented how a political disagreement within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was wrongly turned into an ethnic matter involving the Ijaw nation.
“The matter between Sim and Wike was purely a PDP affair, but because of the ethnic dimension people decided to drag in the Ijaw nation. I was vilified for saying it was not an ethnic war. Eventually, Sim went back to apologize to Wike, confirming the political nature of the disagreement,” Eradiri said.
Eradiri, who once served as Ijaw Youth Council president and commissioner in the previous Bayelsa State administration, questioned the wisdom of encouraging disrespect towards political benefactors, warning that such attitudes could have broader implications for the Ijaw people.
“Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, who is supporting Sim, should remember how he kept the cabinet and agreements from the past administration out of respect. Why is he encouraging Sim to act differently?” he queried.
Highlighting the political marginalization of the Ijaw ethnic group in federal appointments, Eradiri noted that key appointments concerning the Niger Delta are often dominated by Akwa Ibom and Rivers representatives, who maintain close ties with the APC-led federal government.
“When decisions are being made at the highest levels of government, how many Ijaw leaders are at the table? We are absent. Not because we lack capable individuals, but because our key leaders remain in the opposition,” he noted.
He further emphasized that former APC leaders from Bayelsa, including former Governor Timipre Sylva, are no longer influential within the national APC structure, which further isolates the Ijaw nation from the corridors of power.
“Politics is about strategy. If our leaders are not seated at the table where decisions are made, then the Ijaw nation will continue to miss out on federal benefits. Even the Petroleum Minister and NDDC MD do not have real influence in federal political discussions,” Eradiri explained.
When asked if his position was a call for a one-party system, he disagreed, stating, “This is not about creating a one-party state. It is about ensuring that the Ijaw nation is not absent from the table where national interests are negotiated.”
Eradiri concluded by urging Bayelsa leaders to form strategic alliances that would bring development and recognition to the Ijaw people. “If we must call every enemy of our leaders the enemy of Ijaw people, then let’s also make friends strategically, so that the gains of those friendships can benefit our people,” he said.
About Author
