When Douye Diri described himself as a “miracle Governor” following the Supreme Court’s judgment that declared him as Governor of Bayelsa state and sacked David Lyon and Degi-Eremieoyo, of the All Progressives Congress(APC) as Governor -elect and Deputy Governor-elect, respectively, it was his humble recognition that God has a crucial role to play in the affairs of humankind. But, it’s up to us to play our own part. Politics is one of those affairs, and the apex Court as that instrument of justice to bring that to fruition . Diri’s acknowledgement of this providential truth is perhaps the most stirring and eloquent statement I have heard in a long time from a politician in our land.
His reaction to the Supreme Court decision, its reaffirmation last Wednesday, thrilled many friends and foes alike to the core. That’s where he wins me over. More importantly, when the stars are perfectly aligned for someone , it’s the abundance of Grace at work . Grace. Grace comes from God. It’s given, very often, never earned. It’s nothing to be proud of. Grace is for work, and when it’s given for something. It’s not a prize to be won, it’s a duty to do. Many politicians fail to realize this. That’s one of the reasons they run aground in the office they are elected into. Good for him, Governor Diri seems to have recognized this from the outset. He must carry it through to the finish line.
But, to fully understand what the Supreme Court judgment means to Diri that prompted him to describe himself in the superlative, extraordinary of the miraculous, spare a thought for Lyon, his Deputy and the APC. What happened to them was more than a shock. It was beyond mourning and anguish. It was a moment of devastating. It was melancholia, a total collapse of self-esteem that will take years to recover from. It could be likened to a tale of a king who had made elaborate preparation for his coronation only to be deposed just a day to the happiest day of his life.
For Lyon, the closest to his extreme anguish was what happened to Moses, when God said to him: ‘For you shall see the land opposite you at a distance, but you shall not go there, onto the land which I give to the Israelites(Deuteronomy 32:52). The reason was simple: Moses broke faith with God. That’s what God said. In Lyon’s case, his Deputy broke faith with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act. There were inconsistencies in Degi-Eremieoyo’s academic certificates. The Supreme Court would not allow any of that. Let’s take a brief look at what the Supreme Court said. It described the two applications of Lyon, Degi-Eremieoyo and the APC as “highly vexatious, frivolous and a gross abuse of the judicial process”.
The 7-man panel held that the applications were aimed at “desecrating the sanctity of the court, stressing that application seeking for a review of its earlier judgment of February 13, 2020 , was an invitation for the Supreme Court to sit on the on Appeal over its final judgment. This, is in violation of of the Constitution, and Order 8, Rule 2, of the Supreme Court, as well as the provision of section 235 of the 1999 Constitution(as amended). This provision gives the Supreme Court the final say in every appeal. The Supreme Court is not authorized to review its own judgement except there was clerical error, accidental slip or commission, or that any aspect of the judgment that needed to be varied. Outside that, no more.
In an emotion-ladden voice, Justice Amina Augie who read the lead judgement said, among other things, that she felt sad that such frivolous application should be brought before the apex Court by senior counsel for the aggrieved parties. “There must be an end to litigations”, she said before awarding punitive cost of N10m each against Lyon, his deputy and the APC, to be paid in favour of Gov. Diri, his Deputy and the PDP. The cost should be personally paid by the lawyers of the applicants. That in itself is a milestone in a judgment handed down by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Diri had at a Thanksgiving service on Sunday promised to dedicate the amount to the church in Bayelsa.
From what he has said so far, Gov. Diri has been humble in victory. According to his Acting Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabra, this is what the Supreme Court means to Diri : For him, “there is no victor, no vanquished, as the victory is for all Bayelsans. My message is that of reconciliation as I will run an all-inclusive government”. For all that are aggrieved, he has offered them hope, asking them to “sheathe their swords”, and work for building the state to a new level. That’s the way to go, because a single bracelet does not jingle, there is strength in numbers. As one African Proverb says, “when a bird wants to build its nest, it uses the feathers of other birds, meaning that there is unity in peace and cooperation for things to get done.
This happens when a leader does not see the acquisition of power and position as an end in itself. Good for Diri that knows this. For politicians who don’t know, the reality and scale of power are defined by the extent to which it influences or dominates behaviour and conditions external to the man in whom power and authority reside. That’s why Gov. Diri may go far in governing a seemingly divided Bayelsa. He has promised that his administration would appoint people who have what it takes to contribute to the development of the state, and not those who will run it down. He should keep his promise. Politics in Nigeria has not yielded the needed democratic dividends because, very often, appointments were not made on merits. Godfathers hijack key positions. The people suffer. In that connection, Diri has offered the Olive Branch to the aggrieved, and many of them have agreed to work with him if invited. Even Lyon has sounded reconciliatory in accepting the Supreme Court verdict. His supporters should heed the call. It’s time to heal in Bayelsa.
Hope is eternal. That’s one of the things Diri says he will bring. A leader does not shape a new and personal vision of his state. As Lyndon Johnson’s biographer, Doris Kearns puts it, a leader collects vision of his state from the “scattered hopes of the people. Therefore, Diri should at all times sense the mood and circumstances of the people, integrate it with the mandate he has received from the Supreme Court judgment.
It’s important to act swiftly but steadily, with conviction, unflappable zeal and sincerity of purpose in response to the sensed urgencies of the moment. There is nothing beyond the practical capacities of a united and determined people. The Ijaw nation prides itself to have that Corinthian spirit of always rising above adverse circumstances, provided there’s an exemplary leader. For Gov. Diri, the message from the Supreme Court is : Be courageous.Govern well. Pay maximum attention in minimum time. Then, success becomes the outcome.