From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Less than two weeks to the commencement of full blown political activities, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, are in a battle of wits as defection fever grips both parties.
In the past few weeks, a day hardly passed without news of defection between the PDP and the APC. Investigations revealed that both parties are celebrating and claiming upper hand in the build-up to the election.
Governor Douye Diri was quoted to have said that the APC was going extinct with the rate at which its members were defecting to the PDP. In recent times, chieftains of the APC in Sagbama and Ekeremor Local Government Areas left the party for the PDP. A former vice- chairman, Gabriel Paumowei Ndoni who facilitated the return of PDP members back to the state while speaking when being received by Chief Collins Cocodia, the Political Adviser to the governor, said they decided to return to the PDP to team up with Governor Douye Diri whom they described as a calm, calculative and focused leader doing everything to uplift Bayelsans.
Cocodia commended the returnees for making the right decision to return to the PDP noting that the APC has inflicted pains on the people. “You have made the right decision in joining the party that has the interest of the people, their welfare and development of the society at heart. APC has brought nothing but pains and penury on the citizenry,” he said.
In Ekeremor, former Chairman of APC in Ekeremor, Mr Amasingha Sunday led chieftains of the party to the PDP declaring that their decision to dump the APC was borne out of the desire to team up with Tare Pori( member representing Ekeremor Constituency 1) to ensure total victory for Governor Douye Diri and the party.
Diri also received the former alternate director- general, APC governorship campaign council in 2019, Prof Seiyefa Brisibe and a former local government chairman in the governor’s local government council, Kolokuma/ Opokuma Local Government Area, Dr Ebikitin Diongoli.
Brisibe speaking on his defection described APC as a party that lacks discipline and organization, noting that Governor Diri has shown that the development of the state is his priority.
“ I want to especially thank you and your leadership. You have shown leadership that you desired unity, and desired that everybody in Bayelsa should see the Bayelsa project as his or her own. For me, I feel honoured because it is the right time, any time from now, it would have been a little too late.
“In terms of projects around all the three senatorial districts without a sense of bias also gives me joy and a lot of people joy even if they don’t have the opportunity to express that to you. A lot of people in the opposition also express that joy.
“Trust us, trust me, it has been public since 1st of July but today it is officially public and my commitment, dedication and advocacy is to take what you do to the next level and to see that the electoral process evolve in this season; PDP is 100 percent on top. This is my responsibility to you.”
Diongoli in his remarks while likening his defection to APC to a footballer that went to another club on loan said that his experience at the APC has shown him there is no party like the PDP and he has returned from loan.
“I spent 21 years in PDP before I left. But I felt there is no place like home. I just don’t know what to say because I just want to say it but the truth is that we have seen it all from the other end. We are coming basically to also contribute. We are coming with all our heart to work. By receiving us, you have shown that you are truly a father.”
Diri who was visibly excited with the defection of the duo and their supporters declared that returning to PDP is like seeing light from the darkness which APC represents. He acknowledged those who worked underground to make the defection possible stating that the returnees are bigwigs that would add value to the PDP.
“We have been receiving and receiving and some people would say don’t mind the governor, he has been receiving less important people from the APC and people that cannot pull any rock. Well, if you think they are less important wait until we go into elections, then we would know whether they are important or not. These are not just ward and local government politicians. They are politicians recognised at the state level. You remember that Prof Brisibe contested against me at the Senatorial primaries and you can’t consign him to the ward level. Again, he was the alternate campaign DG of the governorship election between PDP and APC yet someone would sit down somewhere and say I am receiving less important people; well, I agree let me be receiving. Time will tell when we get there.”
He said PDP wants to revert to its old status as the only party with the platform to win election in the state.
“Some people would say what is happening in Bayelsa. What is happening is that in Bayelsa, we have decided that we want to go back to the olden days of PDP where when you win the ticket of the PDP is as good as if you have won the general election. We like to call on our remaining members of the party. Mention any name on the other side, whatever they are today is PDP and since they got there, they have never moved forward again. And it is good to realise yourself and come back, nobody would stop you. Our doors are wide open by God’s grace come 2023; the centre would be taken over by PDP.”
He continued: “What is important is that we have to build this state. Those of you who have not been in PDP before now that you are in PDP, you will see the difference, and nobody would tell you. By the time you taste PDP and then you compare to where you are from, you would know you have been in darkness and now you are in the light. For PDP, we always want to be open and transparent, so that whatever that happens, we are a family. We encourage others who are still left in APC and other political parties in the state to take the bold step to come back home.”
On the other hand, defectors from PDP to APC in Nembe Local Government Area led by Mr Richard Kola said the decision to leave the PDP was because Diri has failed to fulfill his promise to develop Nembe.
The APC state Chairman, Dr Dennis Otiotio who received the defectors accused the PDP led government of wasting state resources to lure opposition members into PDP.
“People are realizing everyday that the APC represents a credible alternative to the PDP in Bayelsa State, knowing that the PDP has failed in all ramifications.
“They have failed to bring development to Bayelsa State. They have succeeded in impoverishing the people; they have succeeded in bringing bad governance to the people of Bayelsa State.
“The PDP lacks the capacity to enthrone good governance. That’s why the people of Bayelsa State are defecting day-by-day to the APC.”
On the defection of Brisibe, Otiotio explained that he was not a foundation member of the party as he only defected to the party because his candidate was rigged out of the PDP governorship primaries.
“It’s unfortunate that Prof Brisibe whom I hold in high esteem is quoted to have made such a statement. He left PDP in the aftermath of the PDP Governorship Primaries in 2019, when the governorship aspirant he was supporting was rigged out of the race. He defected to the APC because he saw the APC as a credible alternative to the PDP; however, because of the Supreme Court which declared Diri as the governor of the state, some politicians do not have the patience to wait for the next general election to vote out the PDP Government.
“We are aware of the huge financial resources being expended to lure opposition party members to defect to the PDP. It is uncharitable for Prof Brisibe to say that the APC lacks discipline and organisation because the APC under my leadership has shown strong and disciplined leadership and viable organisation. This is demonstrated in the peaceful and well organised primaries that was just conducted by the APC in the state, unlike the PDP, whose primaries was characterised by violence and disorderliness.”
As the election season draws closer, political pundits are beaming the search light on key indices across the local government areas that would shape the outcome of the 2023 general elections in the state.