Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa



The Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Tonye Isenah has finally bowed to pressures mounted by the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state for him to resign for a new Speaker to emerge from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

Isenah (Kolokuma/Opokuma Constituency 1) in Bayelsa Central Senatorial district had emerged the speaker of the 6th Assembly in June with the understanding that he would step down from the position if the party picks a governorship candidate from Bayelsa Central and he wins the November 16 governorship election.

However, the anger from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area following the inability of the governorship aspirants from the area to clinch the PDP governorship ticket and fears that the people of the area might queue behind Chief David Lyon, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) forced the PDP leadership to request Isenah to vacate office so that the incumbent leader of the House, Hon Monday Bubou Obolo (Southern Ijaw Constituency 2) could be elected speaker to placate the people of Southern Ijaw.

Investigations revealed that barring any last-minute change of plan, Obolo would emerge the speaker on Monday September 30 as Isenah had agreed to step down.

Isenah was said to have dropped hint of his resignation during what could be termed as a valedictory meeting with staff of the House of Assembly shortly after the plenary session.

“Yes, the speaker met with workers of the Assembly and addressed them on his stewardship in the past three months. He told them that on Monday, he would no longer be the speaker and enjoined the workers to cooperate with the new leadership.”

Investigations revealed that aside from the speakership position and that of the Director-General of campaigns already given to Southern Ijaw, other appointments would still be given to politicians from Southern Ijaw to shore up the support base of the party in the area.

Governor Henry Seriake Dickson had on Thursday in a minor cabinet reshuffle moved Hon. Ebipatei Apaingolo from the Ministry of Environment to Youth Development and Udengs Eradiri from Youth Development to Environment in a move to give Apaingolo an indigene of Koluama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area more access to youths for effective mobilisation for the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Douye Diri.