Dickson, Jonathan crisis scatters PDP; thousands defect to APC

The PDP in Bayelsa is bleeding currently. A founding member and 2500 others just flocked out of the party to join in the APC as the state gets ready for its guber election.

Hon. Waribugo Worikuma led the defecting members of the party from Nembe Constituency 3 to the APC.

The defecting PDP members said one of the major reasons why they were defecting was the inability of the ruling party to include youths of the state in its programmes and policies.

The PDP leaders in the state hve been at war over presenting candidates.

While former President Goodluck Jonathan wants his man Timi Alaibe, a former NDDC  boss and perennial contestant, to get the party ticket, Gov Seriake Dickson want somebody from within his government.

And the governor’s camp has insisted on letting Jonathan know Dickson conrols the party.

But Waribugo made a case for young blood, while presenting aggrieved members to the state Chairman of the party, Hon. Jothan Amos, on Wednesday at the APC secretariat in Yenagoa.

‘We are in APC today because of their believe in the youths, but in PDP the only believe is rotating the older people in position of power and that is why the state has remained backward, Waribugo.

“Our future was almost lost but thank God we have follow the glory to this great and progressive party. We are influential and that is the reason we always trouble this party during elections but now we will use it to the advantage of the APC.

“We are not here to deceive anybody, our body and soul is here now, and we want to assure the progressive family that the take over mission has started.”

Responding, the state chairman, Hon. Jothan Amos commended them for their courage in joining the progressive party rather than the party where everyone is self-centred.

He disclosed that a later date will be announced for the public ceremony for more defectors, adding that other major stakeholders in the PDP will soon decamp to the party.

In his brief remark, Hon. Orusakwe Aseimiegha said this marks another milestone in the pursuit to dislodge the draconian government in the state, adding that another reason is the poverty and darkness that has taken over the state.

He said the strategy to actualise the political missionary mission will be persuasion, adding that there’s need for every Bayelsan to tell other members of the party of the takeover campaign.