Ahead of the November governorship elections in Bayelsa state, certain chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Among those who dumped the PDP to team up with the APC governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva are former local government chairmen and former aides of the serving governor and PDP candidate, Douye Diri.
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).
The list also included three former local government chairmen, Victor Isiah (Brass), Nathaniel Sylva (Brass) and Ebinyu Turner ( Ogbia).
Speaking at the elaborate ceremony where they were received in Yenagoa, Nathaniel Sylva who incidentally 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 Sylva to rescue the state.
The former chairman of Brass local government, Honourable Isaiah in his own remarks said having served the south-south state before as governor, the former Minister of Petroleum and APC candidate has the requisite experience and support of people at the grassroots to become the next governor of Bayelsa state.
Ibegu declared that the people of Ogbia have been given the assurance that they would be accorded a sense of belonging under the Sylva administration as he noted that the APC candidate was instrumental to the emergence of their son, Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC).
He urged the people to reciprocate Sylva’s love for the Ogbia people by voting for him.
Receiving the new entrants to the APC, Chief Timipre Sylva assured them that they would 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.
The APC candidate declared that “no stone will be left unturned to ensure victory at the November poll.”
He revealed that serving Commissioners in the State Executive Council have also indicated interest in joining the APC from the PDP but were being threatened with eviction from his cabinet by the Diri’s administration.
He said: “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 those who defected to ensure that “APC takes over the state in the coming election so as to connect Bayelsa to the centre.”
The Gombe state governor 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.
The new APC members 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.
. TheWitness
