Bayelsa PDP Denies Defection, Says We’re Still Intact

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News From The State Sunday, August 30th, 2015

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State has denied news report that more of its members were planning to leave the party for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

A socio-political movement, Bayelsa Great House, was reported to have said that the former chairman of the PDP in the state, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd), who recently defected to the APC was wooing other key leaders of the ruling party to join him in the APC.

But in a statement on Sunday, State Secretary of the PDP in Bayelsa State, Hon. Keku Godspower, said such claim was false as the leadership and members of the party were solidly behind Governor Seriake Dickson and committed to his re-election.

According to him, Inokoba does not have the political strength or leadership acumen ascribed to him in the report to swing the support of PDP members for the APC, describing him and others who left the party as selfish individuals who were all along engaged in anti-party activities.

He stated, “We wish to state categorically that contrary to a newspaper report, no member of the Bayelsa State Working Committee or the purported non-working committee and the generality of our members across the state were considering leaving the party.

“We want to make it abundantly clear that contrary to the propaganda, all the organs of the party at all levels are intact and are fully behind the re-election of Governor Dickson. Inokoba and his phantom Bayelsa Great House are political charlatans who will be disgraced in due time.”

Keku berated Inokoba for arrogating to himself political powers and influence, he said, he did not possess, noting that he (Inokoba) cannot win his ward and as such leaving the PDP was good riddance.

“All the while he held sway as chairman of the PDP, members of our party were always complaining of his poor leadership style. We were merely managing him until he was fingered in corruption and anti-party activities. We always knew that he was a mole for the opposition and therefore we were not surprised he acted the way he did. His leaving the party has no effect whatsoever on the PDP as time will soon tell. Instead it is a blessing”, he stated.

He also clarified that reported resignation of a former special adviser to the governor, Rufus Abadi, to join the APC, saying it was a cheap propaganda to mislead the public.

He said the former adviser in question had earlier been sacked and replaced but only rushed to the radio station to announce his resignation which, he said, smacked of mischief.

“The said special adviser who only few days ago rushed to the radio station to announce his resignation did so after he was sacked and replaced by Hon. Austin Adigio as the substantive Special Adviser of Inter-governmental Affairs. His action was mere mischief but we can understand “, he stated.