Bayelsa: PDP Defectors To APC Are Huge Disappointment –Dokubo

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News From The State Saturday, August 15th, 2015

The People’s Democratic Party in Bayelsa State said yesterday that those who defected to the All Progressives Congress in the state capital at the weekend are a huge disappointment and embarrassment to the party and the Ijaw nation, having benefited immensely from the party that made them who they are today.

PDP acting state chairman, Serena Dokubo-Spiff, in a signed statement issued in Yenagoa, the state capital, said by their conduct, it has clearly shown that the defection is largely driven by greed and personal agrandisement. According to him, the defectors are “yesterday’s men and women” who no longer have electoral value and as such the PDP will not miss them.

He noted that the defectors were also those politicians who sponsored candidates against the PDP in the last state house of assembly election and worked with the opposition to betray both Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP at the last presidential election, adding that these crop of politicians could not be regarded as dependable nor should they be celebrated by the APC as political assets, stressing that they were never at anytime with us.

“Suffice to say that no member of the PDP in the state or any of the party’s organ was part of this charade called a mega rally. The PDP in Bayelsa State is intact. All the structures and organs of the party at all levels are fully intact. Our great party is not perturbed in anyway. The so-called defectors were never with us because they are the same people who betrayed PDP at the presidential election and also sponsored candidates against our party in the state house of assembly election. These are spent forces and we are not moved by APC’s charade.

“For instance, the former PDP chairman, retired Col. Sam Inokoba, who was one of the defectors has since being suspended by our party for acts bothering on corruption and anti-party. Is that the kind of character the APC is celebrating and welcoming into its fold? It’s a sham, indeed”, he stated.

The party chairman berated the defectors as lacking in principle and as such they were more of liabilities to the APC than being assets, stressing that Bayelsans know their antecedents and that they won’t be taken seriously now or in the future for any possible effect on the December 5 governorship election.

“It is so unfortunate that the APC in Bayelsa has attracted into its fold a congregation of persons with well known track record of violence and political brigandage. As a party, we are worried that, if not well managed, they could truncate the prevailing peaceful and secure atmosphere which the PDP-led government under the able leadership of the Countryman Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, has helped to put in place in the state. In no time, the real reason for this hoax of a defection will become truly revealing”.

While assuring Bayelsans of the PDP-led government’s continued resolve to ensure that their safety and security is guaranteed, it is calling on the APC national leadership to take urgent steps to manage this motley crowd of defectors who are all scampering to be governorship candidates, stressing that the prevailing peace in the state cannot be sacrificed on the alter of some people’s self-seeking and narrow-minded political aspirations, noting that the violence that is bound to erupt at the fall out of the party primaries can only better imagined.

“On our part as the ruling party in the state, we await the outcome of their primaries so that we can engage them in a robust electioneering campaign that is issue-based and one that is hinged on the strength of performance and track record of service to our people”, he said.

Signed

Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff

Acting State Chairman, PDP Bayelsa State Chapter