A mammoth crowd of Bayelsa people on Saturday besieged the Samson Siasia stadium as over 1000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC). They were received by National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
The decampees were led by the Bayelsa State Chairman of the PDP, Col. Sam Inokoba and the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),Chief Timi Alaibe.
Odigie-Oyegun declared that with the quality and number of the defectors, the ruling PDP in the state under the
leadership of Governor Seriake Dickson has been totally decapitated
Also at the ceremony were the Deputy National Chairman and former Ekiti Governor, Segun Oni who noted that the defection of PDP members in the state was unique and declared that the PDP is empty.
He queried: “Who is left in the PDP?,” adding: “Nobody. The People in Bayelsa are making history for the South South zone. The APC leaders in Bayelsa state are very loyal and fought gallantly against the false claim that “it is our own”.
He added: “When they overcame such false campaign, their eyes opened and they saw recklessness, under-performance and failure. It was only Edo that survived their onslaught. Can we allow ourselves to lose out.? When we vote, we bring back Bayelsa to the mainstream of politics.”
Chief Odigie-Oyegun, while handing over the broom symbol of the party to the decampees, said the APC is not a party for money sharing but “a party for Prosterity” The leader of the State APC and former Governor, Timipre Sylva, said his joy was fulfilled because the return of the decampees to the APC has reunited brothers and
sisters.
He said: “Today, APC is complete. We have had too much division and the division was created by parochial people.As we come together, we have seen enough of division.”
Sylva said the failed administrations of the PDP in the State had witnessed blood and sorrow including increased cases of political killings. “They have blood on their hands. The creeks of Bayelsa have become impassable. Sea pirates have taken over the creeks and waterways.
They claim,they will provide us security.But we told them to provide security to the people of the State.The era of prosperity has come.Poverty will soon go away.”
Sylva continued: “The PDP has been decapitated at the National Level. Development was not brought to us during their time in office. The East-West road was abandoned. If they claim we should vote for the PDP, they should show
us road. If they can not show us, they should vote for APC.”
Alaibe,said that the defection of notable members of the PDP shows that the needed Change has come to the State,”This is common sense revolution.It is not change for the sake of it.We are changing from poverty to
prosperity.We are changing from lies and deceit.We are changing from “Wayo”.
A state as rich as Bayelsa can not tolerate poverty.It is not our portion that our streets show poverty.How can one provide oil and gas and not benefit from it? Change has come to Bayelsa.”
Also speaking at the rally, Inokoba, said the PDP administration under the leadership of Governor Dickson has witnessed misrule and has abandoned good governance. “The Labour of our fore fathers has been rubbished.
Bayelsa restoration has become a retrogression.Bayelsa PDP has become a Fuji House of Commotion. Instead of development,we have witnessed disrespect to the elders in the state.”
The PDP Publicity Secretary Osom Makbere said the defection of the chairman is of no effect to the party, adding,”it is good riddance to bad rubbish.We knew,before now, that he was working for the opposition party and that is why we insisted that he will not be returned as the State Chairman of our Party.It is not a surprise to us.”