Following the recent defection of three governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the All Progressives Congress (APC), leaders of APC in Bayelsa State have called on Governor Douye Diri to follow suit.

 

Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Ben Ayade, Cross River and Bello Muhammad Matawalle of Zamfara State are the governors that recently left the PDP for the APC.

Making the overtures to Diri, they said the APC is the party of choice for Nigerians because of its track record of performance which has made it more popular and the governor will benefit from its popularity.

 

The APC leaders and stakeholders from Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state made the overtures to Diri during a meeting in Yenagoa, the state capital.

They also called on other PDP stalwarts to come over to the APC while equally urging its chieftains in the state who cross-carpeted to the PDP in “error” to reconsider their decision and return to the ruling party.

One of the leaders and former Deputy Governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi in his remarks said Diri would perform better in office under the APC platform.

Ebebi, who contested and lost the December 5, 2020 Bayelsa West senatorial by-election to former governor and PDP’s candidate, Senator Seriake Dickson, said it was the right time Diri and others moved over to the APC as their party the PDP had become a sinking ship.

His words: “I am calling on the governor of this state and other people that have mistakenly crossed over recently to PDP to retrace their steps and come back to APC now before it is too late. This is the time.

“Governor Diri is not doing badly but if he comes over to the APC, I think he will do better. He should stop welcoming people to the PDP that is a sinking boat. PDP is a sinking boat and nobody should enter a sinking boat no matter the temptation because you will sink along with them”.

The leaders and stakeholders also passed a unanimous vote of confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and Deputy Minority Leader of the state House of Assembly representing Ekeremor Constituency 2, Hon. Wilson Dauyegha.

 

According to them, Buhari and Sylva were “doing very well for the country and Bayelsa State”, while Dauyegha had been “working assiduously to bring dividends of democracy to the grassroots”.

The stakeholders clarified that Sylva remained the leader of the APC in Bayelsa, noting that there were no factions in the party, as they are working together to take over the state in 2023.

Other leaders present at the meeting were the local government party chairman, Hon. Eniekenemi Mitin and two chieftains of the party from the area, Alex Ekiotenne and Zee Debekeme.