Dump your Party come and join APC – Group tells another PDP Governor

Dump your Party come and join APC – Group tells another PDP Governor

A political advocacy group, the Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum (CBSF), is urging Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and align with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

On Tuesday, the group’s convener, Mr. Wisdom Ikuli, who also serves as Governor Diri’s Technical Adviser on Print Media, made the call in Yenagoa.

He emphasised the importance of Bayelsa aligning more closely with the Federal Government to secure the state’s interests.

Ikuli clarified that the CBSF is a non-partisan body, drawing members from various political affiliations and including non-indigenes.

However, he stressed the urgent need for Bayelsa to join the APC, citing alleged collusion by numerous PDP members in 2015 that he claimed deprived Bayelsa and the Ijaw people of the Presidency.

He further alleged that there are plans to exploit the PDP’s internal disputes and ongoing court cases, potentially leading to the disqualification of the party’s candidates in future elections.

Highlighting Bayelsa as the sole PDP-controlled state in the South-South geopolitical zone, Ikuli warned of the dominance of a few individuals within the party who could pose electoral threats ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a move to amplify their demand, Ikuli announced that the CBSF would soon launch daily street rallies in Yenagoa to pressure Governor Diri to consider joining the APC.

He reiterated that the governor’s defection is “non-negotiable and imperative” for Bayelsa’s benefit.

Ikuli drew parallels to historical Ijaw leaders like Chiefs Dappa-Biriye and Melford Okilo, who advocated for aligning with the federal center to drive development, particularly given the region’s geographic isolation.

He acknowledged that past alignment with the PDP, when it was the national ruling party, allowed Bayelsa to produce both a Vice President and a President in Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

However, Ikuli lamented the current political landscape, where he claims Ijaws are sidelined from key federal positions, including the Presidency, Vice Presidency, and Service Chiefs, leading to diminished political influence.

He asserted that despite their population and significant contribution (over 65 percent of Nigeria’s oil wealth), Ijaws remain marginalized due to a lack of alignment with the ruling party.

Explaining Nigeria’s North-South power rotation system, Ikuli underscored that the South must complete its eight-year turn under President Bola Tinubu’s current administration.

He commended President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening the South and highlighted the appointments of several Ijaw sons and daughters to key positions, including Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Oil Minister and Chief Samuel Ogbuku as NDDC Managing Director.

He also mentioned Chief Ebitimi Amgbare as NDDBA Managing Director and Preye Aganaba as Executive Director at the South South Development Commission.

Ikuli also thanked President Tinubu for approving the federal takeover of the Nembe-Brass Road Second Phase, a crucial project linking Bayelsa to the Atlantic Ocean.

He presented this development as a testament to Tinubu’s commitment to Bayelsa and urged Governor Diri to reciprocate by joining other Southern APC governors.

Finally, Ikuli maintained that aligning with the Federal Government is crucial for the actualization of the Agge Seaport project, which he believes would stimulate economic growth and secure prosperity for Bayelsa State.