Posted by The Port Harcourt Telegraph on
Dark clouds are hovering over the skies of Bayelsa as what seems like the blossoming relationship between Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and his deputy, Dr Goodluck Jonathan dissolves into nothingness.
Dark clouds are hovering over the skies of Bayelsa as what seems like the blossoming relationship between Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and his deputy, Dr Goodluck Jonathan dissolves into nothingness.
On the surface, both men have managed to keep the growing rift out of public glare, but as things are now, the centre can no longer hold.
At the centre of the brewing crisis is the issue of who should take over the reins from the Bayelsa governor when his tenure expires in 2007.
As a dutiful and loyal deputy, Jonathan and his supporters have hoped Alamieyeseigha whom they have given strong support would like to see his number two man as the next governor.
Although there had been rumours Alamieyeseigha might not have anything to do with Jonathan's aspiration, the deputy governor had discarded such imputations.
But the recent constitution of the caretaker committees in 24 local government areas eventually opened the eyes of the deputy.
It is widely believed among those following political trends in Yenagoa that the special adviser on transport to the governor and the group he leads may have gotten more of the caretaker committees.
In a system where council chairmen help to determine the course of voting either at the primaries or in the general elections, the composition of the new grassroots team was a deadly blow to the aspiration of the deputy.
Sources close to the Bayelsa governor insist Alamieyeseigha is not driven by a desire to target the deputy governor.
They say he may be rather concerned with a desire to ensure that power rotates.
We have received some confirmation that the governor may be shopping for his successor in the West Senatorial zone.
The zone has never produced a governor right from the days of the old Rivers State Senator Melford Okilo from the Nembe/Brass/Ogbia axis emerged second republic governor of Rivers State in 1979 and was on his way to another term in 1983 when the military struck.
In 1999, Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha from the Central zone came to power in an election which was hotly disputed by Chief Francis Doukpulagha on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. And in 2003 won a convincing victory on his way to an eight-year tenure.
This would equally mean that by the same stroke, Alamieyeseigha might frustrate the aspirations of Timi Alaibe who has never hidden his ambition to gun for the governorship.
In the meantime, the gulf between the governor and his deputy is gradually widening and the fear in informed circles is that it may likely end in the impeachment of Jonathan.