Bayelsa Speaker Finally Steps Down

By Meka Kema, Snr. Correspondent

The Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Tonye Emmanuel Isenah, is reported to have tendered his resignation.

Our checks with stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reveal that, Tonye Isenah’s resignation, on Friday afternoon, was a consequence of the  pressure mounted on him by leaders of his party for him to quit his position ahead of the November 16th governorship election.

He has also expressed readiness to vacate his position on Monday 30th when the House resumes sitting, to further assure his party of his cooperation.

The events leading to the purported pressure on the Bayelsa Speaker lasted for over two weeks, as we learnt that, he was initially not receptive to the idea of resigning as directed by party leaders.

The Legend reliably learnt that Hon. Monday Obolo representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 2 is expected to succeed Hon. Tonye Isenah as an arrangement aimed at assuaging the people of the Southern Ijaw area where the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief David Lyon haild from.

This understanding within the party, we gathered, is that this course of action will douse the high expectation of massive votes for the APC in the coming November 16th Governorship poll, due to the recent juicy ministerial appointment the APC has given to  the state’s indigene.

Another impeccable source told us that: “Members of the House that witnessed the Speaker’s briefing were Felix Bonny Ayah, representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 1, and Moses Marlon, representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 3. He told them that the meeting with them may be the last in his position as Speaker.”

The Speaker was said to have reached an agreement with Dickson and other PDP leaders to vacate his office in the event that Senator Douye Diri, who hails from his Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, emerged the candidate of the PDP for the election.

Consequent on the success of Diri, PDP leaders were said to have asked Isenah to surrender his position to another lawmaker from Southern Ijaw to enable the party garner votes from the council.

“yes, I don’t have a choice,” was the Speaker’s comment when journalists pressed him for confirmation.