Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has waded into the leadership crisis in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly as he brokered peace between the new Speaker, Rt Hon Monday Obolo and the impeached Speaker, Rt Hon Emmanuel Tonye Isenah.
The peace enjoyed by the legislative arm was shattered on Monday, September 30 when Isenah reneged on his earlier promise to step down and adjourned plenary sine die forcing his colleagues led by Obolo to reconvene to impeach him amidst invasion of the Assembly and shooting by gunmen.
Isenah had given a hint that he was in for a long-drawn fight when he insisted that his impeachment was null and void as he was the only one that could reconvene the House since he adjourned sitting as sine die.
Obolo, however, ignored the threats of Isenah and reconvened the House on Friday where they set up a seven-man committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the impeachment of Isenah.
Our correspondent gathered that Dickson who had on Monday congratulated Obolo as the new speaker after the impeachment of Isenah received the new Speaker and members of the House on arrival in Yenagoa, the state capital on Friday.
According to sources, after meeting with the House leadership and members of the House, Dickson mooted the idea of reconciliation and sent for Isenah and reconcile both leaders with an appeal that the House should return to its united status.
Obolo was said to have reiterated what he said during plenary that there was no love lost between him and Isenah, noting that the House of Assembly was united and there was no crack among members.
Isenah in turned apologised to Dickson and members of the House and congratulated Obolo while pledging his loyalty to the new leadership.
Investigations revealed that Dickson’s intervention was to prevent an escalation of the crisis between supporters of Isenah and Obolo which had forced Bayelsa State Security Outfit, Operation Doo Akpo to deploy its men to the legislative quarters following security concerns.
Supporters of Isenah had alleged that the police had led siege to the residence of the former Speaker with the intention to intimidate him and they had threatened to resist any attempt to harass him.
A reliable Government House source said Dickson was determined to ensure that the PDP remains intact ahead of the November 16 governorship election and had told members to bury the hatchet.