"A democracy without opposition becomes a dictatorship," Sen Henry Seriake Dickson cautioned on Wednesday, as he criticised Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri’s resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking to journalists after plenary at the National Assembly, the former Bayelsa governor reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to the PDP, warning that Nigeria is drifting toward a one-party system.
"I am where I have always been. I don’t believe Nigeria should become a one-party state. As a democrat, I understand the ups and downs of the process, but I remain constant and steadfast in the PDP," he said.
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Dickson accused some governors, including Diri, of abandoning their responsibility to strengthen the PDP, instead opting to defect after allowing internal crises to deepen.
"It’s sad. Instead of fixing the problems, they let the crisis fester and now they are bailing out. It makes Nigeria look small, ridicules our democracy and endangers multiparty politics. What we are witnessing is political class suicide," he said.
He further disclosed that Governor Diri had consulted him before making the move, but insisted that he found no credible justification for leaving the PDP.
"To his credit, he consulted me, but I didn’t see any compelling reason to defect. I'm still standing where I have always stood with the PDP, the party that gave my people the opportunity to produce a Vice President, an Acting President, and a President. The APC cannot offer that," Dickson said.
Reiterating the necessity of a strong opposition, Dickson stressed that the future of Nigeria's democracy depends on preserving multiparty participation.
"If we fail to save the PDP, then we will decide collectively on the next step, but it certainly should not be joining the APC," he said.
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