Barely 36 days to the governorship
election in Bayelsa State, no fewer than 1,000 members of the All
Progressives Congress in the state have defected to the Peoples
Democratic Party.
The defecting members, comprising 800
delegates at the APC governorship primary election held on August 22 and
August 29 declared for the PDP at a ceremony which took place at Peace
Park, Yenagoa on Saturday.
The defectors were led into the Peace
Park venue by two prominent members of the APC, Senator John Brambaifa
and Mr. Alex Ekiotenne.
They were received at the venue by
Governor Seriake Dickson; Deputy National Chairman, PDP, South-South,
Mr. Cairo Ojuigbo; Acting State Chairman, PDP, Mr. Serena Dokubo-Spiff;
Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd.), among other
PDP leaders.
Addressing the defectors, Dickson
commended Brambaifa and Ekiotenne for returning to the PDP fold which
they left about five months ago.
Dickson said, “We are happy that
Brambaifa and Ekiotenne are back to the PDP. They have been prominent
strategists for the PDP. Our government, Bayelsa PDP and Bayelsans are
happy that we are now complete.
“While the storm lasted, I always
remembered them for their patriotism towards Bayelsa and the Ijaw
nation. With them, our restoration crusade is full and ready to sail.
They led the foundation for the mass movements of some PDP members to
the APC.
“Today, it is operation ‘Wind up APC in
Bayelsa. This is just the beginning of winding up the APC in Bayelsa. We
will continue to receive our brothers and sisters who were misled.”
The governor, who urged the crowd to
observe a minute’s silence for the late former Governor of the state,
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, said since Alamieyeseigha’s demise, was feeling
a sense of emptiness.
He said: “But with these two persons, I
am a bit consoled. If not for the way they harassed and killed
Alamieyeseigha, he would have been here with us.”
In his remarks, Ekiotenne said with their return to the PDP, the APC in Bayelsa was buried.
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