APRIL 22, 2015 : JOHN ALECHENU, ABUJA
The All Progressives Congress on Wednesday formally shut
its doors against members of the Peoples Democratic Party
wishing to join its ranks.
The party also enjoined members and leaders of the ruling
party to stay where they are and rebuild their party to play
its new found role as the main opposition party.
It admonished the PDP to come to terms with the “cold, hard
reality” that its fortunes had since “plummeted” and that it
was now in opposition.
The APC made its position public in a statement by its
National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja.
According to the APC, the leadership of the PDP is not even
waiting to be approached before fleeing to the APC.
Mohammed said, “PDP leaders and members are falling
over themselves shamelessly and swearing undying
allegiance to the APC.
“Well, in case they did not get the message of the President-
elect and our National Chairman, we want to repeat it in
very blunt terms: PDP leaders and members, you are not
welcome in APC.
“Please stay in your party, but if – as we suspect – you
cannot survive in opposition, then, take a walk, quit
politics.”Mohammed was reacting to a communiqué issued
by the PDP, in which it alleged that the APC was harassing its
members and that it was trying to turn Nigeria into a one
party state.

www.punchng.com/news/apc-shuts-its-doors-against-pdp-defectors/

President Muhammadu Buhari will this Saturday pay his first
visit to Bayelsa state since assuming office where he will
personally welcome over 10,000 politicians defecting from
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other political
parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The President will be joining the state party leader, Chief
Timipre Sylva, and the Chairman of the State Working
Committee of the party, Chief Timipa Tiwei Orunimighe to
welcome the defecting leaders including the former
Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission
and ex-Presidential Special Adviser, Chief Ndutimi Alaibe;
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Admiral Festus Porbeni; former
Acting Governors Nestor Binabo and Werinipre Seibarugu.
Others also in the pack of defectors to the APC are Senator
John Brambaifa, Senator Clever Ikisipo, Ambassador
Emmanuel Otiotio, Chief Nathan Egba, Dr. Silva Opuala-
Charles, former House of Representatives member, Dr.
Stella Dorgu and former NDDC Chairman, Prof. Tarila
Tebepah.
Details later
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/buhari-to-welcome-pdp-
defectors-in-bayelsa/217466/

dearpreye:
For the sake of your health, always endeavour to take any APC statement with a huge pinch of salt. These are some of the most unstable folks we have.

Ahead of the December 5 governorship elections in Bayelsa, a foremost Ijaw socio-political organization, The Ijaw Peoples Assembly(IPA), has asked the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to forget contesting the election.

The group, in a statement Monday in Yenagoa and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Kambowei Daniels, advised the leadership of the APC not to waste its resources because Bayelsa remains a stronghold of the PDP.

“We are by this statement calling on the national leadership of the APC not to dissipate its energy and resources on the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State because the incumbent governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson will win the election,” the statement said.

According to the group, plans are already on ground to convene a stakeholders meeting of all Ijaws in Yenagoa to unanimously endorse the candidacy of Governor Dickson for the December 5 election.

The group said that with the backing of prominent Ijaw leaders and key stakeholders who have unanimously endorsed Dickson for a second term, the chances of any opposition against the governor were minimal.

“Having regard to his performance record in the last three years, Governor Dickson deserved to be reelected, that is why we are mobilizing the people of the state to rally support for his re-election,” the statement added.

The group said that a meeting of notable Ijaw leaders and key stakeholders would soon be convened in Yenagoa ahead of the elections, where they would unanimously endorse the candidacy of the governor for the December 5 election.

He said, “Our amiable countryman governor is the pride of the Ijaw nation and given his record of indelible service and various strong conributions to the promotion of pan- Ijaw agenda, our collecive support to reelect him is in the right direction.

“Already, he has been endorsed by virtually all the prominent Ijaw leaders like Pa Edwin Clark, DSP Alamieyeseigha, Prof. Lawrence Ekpebu, Dan Etete and a host of others.

“But very soon, we will all come together to formally endorse the governor to send a clear message of our unity of purpose in this election.”

The statement further stated that the choice of Dickson was a demonstration of Ijaw people’s recognition and reward for good leadership, stressing that Dickson’s stewardship had provided a sound vision for development of the state.

The group said: “The issue is not about the jostling for power as we see in the APC but a realistic vision and able leadership that can lead us to realise our development objectives as a people.

“We have seen that demonsrated by Governor Dickson in the last three years and it is only proper to allow him complete the good projects he started and even do more.”

The statement urged contestants in other parties to step down for Governor Dickson, adding that they would lead a high-powered delegation of Ijaw activists to grace Dickson’s formal declaration for second tenure scheduled for August 28.

http://dailypost.ng/2015/08/10/bayelsa-2015-ijaw-group-tells-apc-to-forget-guber-race/

Mogidi:
Buhari is wasting his time going to Bayelsa.