Ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State, about fifty thousand leaders, aides to Governor Douye Diri and members of other political parties have defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Some of the defectors are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), among others.
The defectors were received at the party secretariat in Yenagoa by the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who was represented by the Deputy National Chairman, North, Alhaji Ali Delore.
Among those that defected were two former Commissioners, Chief Saviour Ibegu(from Ogbia Local Government Area) and Chief Diodei Week, from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
Also, three former local government chairmen; Victor Isiah (Brass), Natheniel Sylva (Brass) and Ebinyu Turner ( Ogbia).
Nathaniel Sylva, who was a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Douye Diri said he decided to leave the PDP to team up with the APC governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva to rescue the state.
Isaiah, while explaining the reasons for leaving PDP, explained that the APC and its governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva has the requisite experience and support of people at the grassroot to become the next governor of the state.
Also speaking, in hiChief Ibegu noted that the Ogbia people have benefited from the leadership of Sylva with the appointment of their son, Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and it is now time to reciprocate his love for Ogbia people by voting for him.
Ogbuku in his speech declared that Ogbia people are grateful people and have decided to pay back the love Sylva has for Ogbia Kingdom by voting massively for him.
Receiving the new members, the APC governorship candidate and the immediate-past minister of state for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva said the defectors will be fully integrated into the APC fold.
Sylva urged the new members to go out and work for the success of the APC in the forthcoming November 11 governorship election in the state.
Sylva also added that “no stone will be left unturned to ensure victory at the November poll.”
He revealed that a serving Commissioner in the State Executive Council has also indicated interest to join the APC from the PDP but was threatened with eviction from his place of abode by the Diri’s administration.
Sylva declared that “no amount of intimidation and desperation by the PDP government in the state can stop the APC from winning the governorship election.”
Also speaking, Gombe State Governor and the Chairman, Bayelsa State National Governorship Campaign Council, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, urged the decmfectors to ensure that “APC takes over state in the coming election so as to connect Bayelsa to the centre.”
Inuwa also urged both the new and old members to take the message of hope and development to the nook and crannies of the state in order to drum up support for the party’s gubernatorial candidate.
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