The Bayelsa state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has revealed that despite the huge defection of its former stalwarts to the All Progressives Congress, the party will still regain power in the oil rich state.

The party is of the opinion that the defected politicians are after their belly and federal government appointments.

The Bayelsa PDP wondered why they are joining the APC now that the PDP is no longer controlling the centre. The party blasted the defectors saying that it was embarrassing to the PDP and the Ijaw nation to see people that benefitted from the party fleeing to another party.

This position was made known in a statement issued on Sunday, August 23 by the acting chairman of the state’s PDP, Serena Dokubo.

He said the defectors are men and women that do not have electoral value, insisting that the party will not miss their exit.

Dokubo said: “Defectors are also those politicians who sponsored candidates against the PDP in the last state house of assembly election and worked with the opposition to betray both Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP at the last presidential election.

“These crop of politicians could not be regarded as dependable nor should they be celebrated by the APC as political assets, stressing that they were never at anytime with us.

“Suffice it to say that no member of the PDP in the state or any of the party’s organ was part of this charade called a mega rally. The PDP in Bayelsa State is intact. All the structures and organs of the party at all levels are fully intact. Our great party is not perturbed in anyway.

“The so-called defectors were never with us because they are the same people who betrayed PDP at the presidential election and also sponsored candidates against our party in the state house of assembly election. These are spent forces and we are not moved by APC’s charade.

“The former PDP chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd), who was one of the defectors has since being suspended by our party on acts bothering on corruption and anti-party. Is that the kind of character the APC is celebrating and welcoming into its fold? It’s a sham, indeed.”

The acting chairman added that instead of the APC celebrating the defectors as assets, they should rather see them as liabilities to the party.

He explained that going by the records of the defectors, the Bayelsa people would not take them seriously.

“It is so unfortunate that the APC in Bayelsa has attracted into its fold a congregation of persons with well-known track record of violence and political brigandage.

“As a party, we are worried that, if not well managed, they could truncate the prevailing peaceful and secure atmosphere which the PDP-led government under the able leadership of the Countryman Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, has helped to put in place in the state. In no time, the real reason for this hoax of a defection will become truly revealing,” he said.

In a related development, a socio-political group Bayelsa for Good Governance had claimed that politicians defecting from the PDP to the APC are doing so to escape the probe of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.