Bayelsa East Senatorial Seat: Stakeholder Calls For Rotation To Begin from Brass
A political stakeholder in Bayelsa East Senatorial District, Hon. Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli, has called for a fresh approach to the zoning of the senatorial seat, urging that the proposed two-term rotation arrangement should commence from Brass Local Government Area in the interest of equity, fairness, and unity.
In a statement issued on April 30, 2026, Ikuli sought to clarify what he described as misconceptions surrounding the historical representation of the district since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
He recalled that the late elder statesman, Chief Melford Obiene Okilo, was the first to represent Bayelsa East Senatorial District in the Fourth Republic. However, due to age and health challenges, his time in the Senate was reportedly affected, leading to an arrangement facilitated by then Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha for him to уступ his second-term bid to a younger successor.
According to Ikuli, Okilo nominated his foster son, Inatimi Spiff, who subsequently emerged as senator, thereby shifting the seat to Brass Local Government Area.
He further traced the district’s political evolution, noting that Spiff’s tenure was cut short due to internal political disagreements involving key figures such as Ndutimi Alaibe, Alamieyeseigha, and former President Goodluck Jonathan. This development, he said, paved the way for Barigha Amange from Nembe to secure the ticket under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ikuli explained that subsequent political realignments, including Jonathan’s elevation to Vice President and Timipre Sylva’s emergence as governor, influenced the rotation of the seat among the constituent local government areas—Nembe, Ogbia, and Brass.
He noted that after Clever Ikisikpo of Ogbia and later Ben Murray-Bruce of Brass held the position, the 2015 political shift that saw Jonathan lose re-election affected Murray-Bruce’s second-term ambition, leading to the emergence of Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Nembe.
The stakeholder added that the 2019 contest highlighted disagreements between the APC and PDP over where the proposed two-term rotation should begin, with APC supporting Nembe and PDP backing Ogbia. The eventual victory of Senator Benson Agadaga of Ogbia, he said, did not resolve the underlying zoning dispute.
Ikuli criticized Agadaga’s performance, describing it as underwhelming and arguing that it weakened support for a second-term bid from Ogbia.
Against this backdrop, he proposed that Brass Local Government Area—described as the “mother LGA” from which both Nembe and Ogbia were created—should be the starting point for a new zoning arrangement.
He recommended a structured rotation in which Brass would hold the seat for two terms, followed by Nembe and then Ogbia, each for two terms.
Ikuli concluded that the historical account shows that the late Okilo did not institute a one-term policy, but rather that political developments over time shaped the current pattern.
He emphasized that moving forward, any zoning agreement should be guided by principles of justice, fairness, and inclusiveness to ensure stability and cohesion within the district.
