What is in a name? To some, it is just a word they live to be identified with, while to others it is a highly cherished identity they would go any length to protect.

Williams Shakespeare, however, had a different perception of a name when in his famous literary work ‘Romeo and Juliet’, one of the major character Juliet was made to say:

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet.”

To the literary icon and Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, anybody could be Adewale, give such any other name, say Chukwuemeka, that person would still remain the same personality, the difference is the tag and not the person.

Should we now start throwing multiple names we like because it doesn’t change who we are?

Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo held such belief as Shakespeare that there is nothing special about a name, he has, however, learned the hard way and seems to have a better understanding of how much a name matters in Nigeria, especially for someone seeking public office.

Degi-Eremienyo represents Bayelsa East at the Senate and doubles as the vice-chairman Senate Committee on Gas Resources and Special Duties Committee.

He must be reeling in regrets now after a multiplicity of names became his major albatross just a few hours before his inauguration as the second citizen of Bayelsa state.

The calamity didn’t consume him alone, it pulled down David Lyon the governor-elect and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) were the losers after last Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment.

Who reaped from Degi-Eremienyo’s error? The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose candidate, Senator Douye Diri, was defeated in the election.

Diri before his inauguration was also a Senator like Degi-Eremienyo.

The Supreme Court last Thursday (February 13) sacked David Lyon and Sen. Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, as the governor and deputy elect in the November 16, 2019, Bayelsa governorship election.

Justice Ejembi Eko, who delivered the lead judgment reinstated the November 12, 2019, judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja that disqualified Degi-Eremieoyo from participating in the governorship poll.

The court held that the trial court was right in finding the deputy guilty of presenting false information to INEC.

The Justice Mary Odili-led panel held that no person shall be qualified to contest an election if he presented false information for the purpose of election.

The apex court held that the nomination form Degi-Eremieoyo submitted to INEC for the purpose of the election, contained false information of fundamental nature.

The PDP had asked the court to regard the discrepancies in Degi-Eremienyo’s certificates as major impediments to his candidacy.

They accused the APC running mate of providing different names at all levels of his education.