•Date fixed for defection to APC

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, is set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Investigations revealed that Diri’s defection, which had been on the cards for months, is finally to be laid to rest on October 14.

Sources close to the governor stated that he had carried out his defection plans discreetly because of the animosity within the leadership of the APC in the state, particularly by the group loyal to Chief Timipre Sylva, former minister of petroleum resources.

Findings indicated that Diri’s main reason for exiting was linked to the intractable crisis rocking the party, which has made it no longer attractive to the governor and majority of his political associates to pursue their political ambitions in 2027.

Diri was said to have consulted widely with some Bayelsa State elders before deciding to dump the PDP.

Sources said as part of his consultation and out of courtesy and respect, he had informed former President Goodluck Jonathan of his decision to leave the party.

He has also received the backing of the majority of the members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to dump the PDP.

He dropped the hint of his defection to the eight local government chairmen and members of the State Executive Council.

Many of the lawmakers, who have ambition to return to the House or move up the political ladder, encouraged the governor to dump the PDP before their candidacy would face legal challenge and disqualification because of the PDP crisis.

Diri’s defection plan was, however, rejected by the majority of the National Assembly members, who were of the opinion that there was no compelling reason for them to defect to the APC.

Investigations revealed that two Senators, former governor and senator representing Bayelsa West, Henry Seriake Dickson and Benson Agadaga, three House of Representatives members out of five, namely Fred Agbedi (Sagbama/ Ekeremor), Maria Ebikake (Nembe/Brass) and Mietama Obordor (Ogbia) are not going to defect with the governor.

Regardless of the setback from the National Assembly members, associates of the governor said he had made up his mind to dump the PDP.

A top lawmaker and political associate of the governor said there was no going back on the decision to defect to the APC.

“There is no going back on the governor crossing to the APC. We have passed the stage of consultation. The governor is going with members of the House of Assembly, though not all of us are going. Also, some members of the National Assembly are not going. Senator Konbowei Benson is going with the governor. The defection may be next week,’’ he said.

A chieftain of the APC in the state, from the governor’s local government area, who pleaded anonymity, said he was aware that plans had been finalised for the governor to cross over to the APC.

The chieftain, a former lawmaker, was upbeat about the governor’s defection, stressing that the party was waiting to welcome and receive him.

When contacted, the APC chairman in the state, Dr Dennis Otiotio, said he was not aware of the governor’s defection.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, also said he was not aware of the Governor’s plan to defect.

Meanwhile, the PDP leadership in the state is polarised over the decision of the governor to dump the ruling party in the state.

Already, the opposition from the majority of the National Assembly members is an indication that some leading members have rejected the defection plans and are ready to stick with the PDP.

Some leading PDP members were said to have expressed misgivings about the defection and blamed some young Turks around the governor, desperate to reconfigure the power balance in the state, as the people behind the scene pressuring him to defect.

“Some of the people who were not anywhere when we fought to bring the governor in 2019 and 2023 are the people he is listening to. They are not popular, and they want to contest the election to take power by force. They believe that by joining the APC, they will use federal might to win the election,” a top member of the party said.

It was gathered that the former governor of the state, Senator Dickson, who had kept his distance from the Diri administration, was not consulted on the defection plan because Diri knew he would shoot down the idea.

Sources said those opposed to Diri’s defection are likely to persuade Dickson to be the leading light of the opposition when Bayelsa becomes an APC state under Diri. (Daily Sun, excluding headline)

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