Degi-Eremienyo as Lyon’s Achille’s heel in Bayelsa, By Zebulon Agomuo

Degi-Eremienyo as Lyon’s Achille’s heel in Bayelsa, By Zebulon Agomuo

POLITICS DIGEST – In Greek mythology, when Achilles was a baby, it was foretold that he would die young. To prevent his death, his mother Thetis took Achilles to the River Styx, which was supposed to offer powers of invulnerability, and dipped his body into the water; however, as Thetis held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not washed over by the water of the magical river. Achilles grew up to be a man of war who survived many great battles. In the Trojan War, he killed the Trojan hero, Hector, but got fatally wounded in the heel with an arrow fired by Paris.

By interpretation, an Achilles’ heel or Achilles heel is a weakness in spite of overall strength, which can lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, idiomatic references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.

During the build-up to the Bayelsa State November 16, 2019 off-season gubernatorial election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) solidly stood by its candidate, David Lyon, a man considered a political neophyte.

Being the party at the centre, the APC ensured that Lyon lacked nothing in terms of financial and other forms of support. The influence of Timipre Sylva, a former governor and current state minister of petroleum resources, was enormous to swing the pendulum of victory to Lyon’s side.

The battle was fiercely contested, leading to the defeat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate, Duoye Diri. The PDP had governed Bayelsa since the return of Nigeria to civil rule in 1999.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had cleanly declared results and parties celebrated and mourned accordingly. Blames had been apportioned as to who was responsible for the PDP ouster, which was heaped at the door step of the immediate past governor, Seriake Dickson.

Dickson was accused of denying more popular individuals, particularly Timi Alaibe the ticket because of his ambition to replace Diri at the Senate.

Some hours to his disengagement as governor, Dickson had it rough with the PDP youths in Yenagoa, who booed at him, accusing him of destroying their party and leaving it in tatters.

Some of his disgruntled appointees and local government workers were said to have participated in the booing that took place right inside the premises of the Government House.

A voice was heard saying, “Wuked (a corruption of ‘wicked’) man, Wuked Dickson…”
“Woo, wuked man, you no go kill our party”
“You no go kill our party dey go”
“Party wey we use 8years build”
Wuked Dickson, woo…”

It took the intervention of his police escorts to smuggle him (Dickson) out of the charged environment. The crowd was said to have pelted the convoy with stones.

There was every indication that the stage had been set for the inauguration of Lyon. The “Governor-elect” on his own part was putting finishing touches to his preparations when the news filtered that fate had played a cruel one on him.

A few days to the botched inauguration, Lyon, had visited T.B. Joshua’s church, Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), somewhere in Ikotun, Lagos, to pay gratitude to the congregation that stood by him by way of prayers before the election.

During the visit, Joshua had reportedly charged him to meet the expectations of the Bayelsa people.

“I want you to know that the only way Bayelsa people will believe you as the one they voted for is for you to meet the expectations of the Bayelsa people. He is banking on our prayers because the best is yet to come…I am at your service. By that, I meant I will make sure the expectations of the Bayelsa people are executed.

“I have a word of wisdom for you. It is better to live poorly upon the fruit of God’s goodness than to live plentifully upon the product of our own sin.”

The preparation was still on with the swearing-in rehearsal on the parade ground, the pictures of which have been trending on social media platforms, when the Supreme Court gave its judgment bordering on inconsistencyin the nomenclature of the deputy governor-elect, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo.

Allegory of father’s eating sour grapes, and children’s teeth being set on edge

Lyon has his correct certificate and filings with the INEC correct, but his running mate’s filings with the electoral umpire were suspect, creating a loophole for the opponent to strike.

The suit was initiated by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which had asked the court to nullify Degi-Eremienyo’s candidacy because of the inconsistencies in his certificates. In his primary school certificate, Degi-Eremienyo’s name was written as Degi Biobara while the documents from his secondary education bore Adegi Biobarakumo, as his name. However, documents from his university education had Degi Biobarakuma as his name while the result from his MBA certificate had Degi BiobarakumaWangaha as his name. The inconsistencies in the names that appeared on his various academic certificates he presented to the INEC were his undoing. Recall that the Federal High Court in November 2019 disqualified Lyon on the grounds that his deputy provided false information to INEC. However, the APC challenged the court ruling at the appeal court and won. The appellate court set aside the decision of the Federal High Court and affirmed the election of the APC candidates. In all, it was the sin of Degi-Eremienyo that stood in the way of Lyon.

Seeing the Promised Land but not entering in

Like the Biblical Moses, who led the Israelites through the exodus from Egypt, but could not enter the Promised Land, only having the privilege of viewing it from afar, Lyon, who had put everything in place also saw the parade ground, and the red-carpet motorcade but was denied the opportunity of waving to a huge crowd on the D-Day. Like Moses also, whose inability to enter the Promised Land was a punishment for manifesting anger and impatience over the pestering and murmuring of the stiff-necked Israelites, Lyon’s deprivation was also a consequence of another man’s iniquity; his unequal yoke with a character he didn’t know very well cost him entrance into the “Promised Land” (Government House) in Yenagoa.

Left in the cold

Lyon is said to have been abandoned by those who he thought meant well for him. A member of his inauguration council (committee) captured his experience on the day the Supreme Court’s verdict came and the speed with which members of the committee switched camp.

According to him, “I grinned in pains when I sighted key leaders of campaign fronts that worked with us during the elections seated at the oval shaped hall. I cursed the day I started an affinity with politics

“A day before, we all met with Lyon on Thursday morning at his Igbogene residence. We accompanied him to the parade ground for rehearsals same day. We held last briefing and doled out charges to all sub-groups. Preparation for the swearing in the next day appeared to be over by 1pm.

“We all, the extended campaign council, along with all invited dignitaries, were having a bounteous lunch when the Supreme Court rulings filtered. David Lyon hurriedly left the house. Within split seconds, his house became a desert. And so it remained till today.”

He further said: “David Lyon had summoned an emergency meeting of his campaign council yesterday afternoon. The time coincided with the time of the inauguration. Only four, out of sixty-seven members were present.

“None of the characters penciled down for cardinal appointment in the stillborn government came back to inquire, to brief, or to sympathise with the victim of the worst judicial blow in the present time. Deserted and isolated, my friend David gruttles with his inner self

“The once APC Bayelsa turned PDP within hours. Nobody, was ready to miss the flight. Bayelsa’s politicians, like their counterparts in Imo State, switched to the direction of their stomachs.

“In Yenagoa, I cut the flu. I came to know that there is no clear symmetry in politics. Politicians are the same. The Epie politician shares the same DNA with his counterpart in Ebenese, Ideato South.”

Still shocked over the turn of events in Bayelsa, the Council member, said: “Onye ji igu, ka ewunaeso” (meaning that goats only follow a man with palm fronds) is a universal trite.Napoleon said ‘God matches on the side of the stronger battalion.’ I am yet to stray into the corners of a sincere politician. All are selfish, cheat and fake! Truthfulness and honour are scarce in their blood streams. Fear the political class. Heaven is not their target. Life after death is off their tangents. Politicians are callous and insensitive too. They are robbed of sense of guilt and shame.There is no sympathy in politics. Personal interest and not common values dictates in politics.”

Dickson as the greatest beneficiary

Dickson, who was booed and chased out like a common criminal, a day to the Supreme Court verdict, bounced back to reckoning. Had he left without the verdict, chances were that he would have endangered his political career. Some analyst had already begun to say that he could empty himself into the camp of the PDP so as to secure himself from the troubles of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). With the turn of events, Dickson could be on his way to the Senate in line with his original plans.