Expdonaloaded News; Bayelsa decides: Defections hit PDP ahead of poll

TWENTY-SEVEN days to the Bayelsa State governorship elec­tion, a gale of defections has hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state as political associates of former President Goodluck Jonathan and aides of Governor Seriake Dickson dumped the party for the APC.

Among those that have left the PDP for the APC includes Bish­op Eremieyo Degi from Nembe Bassanbiri, a close political as­sociate of Jonathan and Dick­son and former board member of Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), the Assis­tant State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Douglas Samson Awudulu, Secretary of the State Center for Youth Development, Comrade Claudius Egba, and Matthias Kuro Nye Nye, a PDP stalwart in Nembe.
Speaking at the Commu­nity Primary School, in Nembe Bassanbiri, where a mammoth crowd came to welcome former governor Timipre Sylva, Degi and Awudulu who moved with over 5,000 of their supporters said their decision to defect to the APC was based on firm convic­tion that only Sylva can salvage Bayelsa at this point in time.
Eremieyo explained that as a founding member of the PDP, the decision to move to the APC took a while because he wanted to be convinced that he was tak­ing the right steps as ordained by God.
He disclosed that the PDP gov­ernment has failed in its aspira­tions for the people of the area, noting that Sylva being a son of the soil would continue from where he stopped in 2012 in the development of the area.
Awudulu said he decided to leave the PDP in the state be­cause the party has lost vision and focus for the people of Bay­elsa State.
The Deputy- Director General of the Sylva/ Igiri Campaign, Dr Lionel Jonathan-Omo said with the defection of Eremieyo and Awudulu, APC is sure of having 80 per cent of the total votes cast.
He pleaded with the PDP not to employ violence because the people of Nembe are ready to de­fend the votes they cast for the APC.
The Chairman of APC in the state, Chief Tiwei Timipa Orun­imighe who commended the defectors for dumping the PDP, urged the people to vote APC in the December 5 governorship elections.
He tasked them to make their votes count in the governorship elections, adding that in South­ern Ijaw local government area where he comes from, the people are poised to give the APC candi­date 90 per cent of the votes.