Gov Diri’s Defection To APC A Done Deal – Aide

The defection of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa state to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is a done deal, according to the governor’s Technical Adviser On Print and Public Affairs, Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli.

Governor Diri is a member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP under which he won the governorship election twice. The governor has been widely criticized for trying to dump the party which has given hi so much, as a senator and helmsman of the oil bearing state.

According to Ikuli , who made the remark  during a world press conference in Yenagoa, the state capital the state cannot afford to be isolated from the centre, stressing the need to join the ruling APC.

He stressed that the interests of the state and Ijaw nation are no longer being served in the PDP which he accused of betraying the state in the past, blaming most of those left in the party for working against  the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term.

He explained that some characters in the PDP are already working to nullify, through court process, the nominations of candidates that will emerge under the party platform in 2027  Bayelsa, noting that the state is the only PDP state in the south-south.

He said the state has lost many opportunities at the federal level because they are not members of the ruling APC, adding that it’s now time for the state to align with the centre to promote its development.

He said by joining the APC Governor Diri will be towing the line of other southern governors who have decided to throw their weight behind President Tinubu’s re-election.

Ikuli: “For instance, our adherence to their advice and our alignment with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that was the government at the centre helped Bayelsa State and the Ijaw Nation to produce the Vice President and later, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of this country in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Sadly, today Bayelsans and Ijaws in general are not among first 40 Nigerians from the Offices of the President, Vice President and Services Chiefs.  Ijaws have been relegated and rendered politically and economically redundant and impotent because we are not with the government at the centre.

“Ironically, Ijaws who are the majority in terms of population in the geographic Niger Delta area (South South) and the fourth largest tribe in the country, Ijaw Nation that contribute well over 65% of the oil and gas wealth that are used to run the affairs of the country have been rendered powerless because of our non-alignment with the ruling party.

“Again, there is a power sharing and rotation system between the North and South. The North having done their complete eight (8) years under late President Muhammadu Buhari is supposed to support the South to complete her own eight (8) years under incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is working round the clock to strengthen the South.

“The President has graciously appointed illustrious sons and daughters of Ijaw Nation and Bayelsa State in particular into key offices.

“We appreciate his appointment of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Chief Samuel Ogbuku as MD of NDDC, Chief Ebitimi Amgbare as MD of NDDBA and Hon. Preye Aganaba as the Executive Director of Human Resources of South South Development Commission (SSDC).

“We also thank President Tinubu for approving Federal Government take over of the Second Phase of the Nembe-Brass Road that will help to link the Ocean where the vast wealth of Bayelsa State is.

“It is based on the above that we unanimously appeal to the Governor to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to show Southern Solidarity with other Southern Governors who are with Mr. President. ”

The magazine reported that all the appointees of the governor had at the weekend appealed to him to dump the PDP for the ruling party.