Bayelsa: Dickson’s aides defect to APC

At last, the defection train has hit President
Goodluck Jonathan’s home state of Bayelsa with
some aides of Governor Seriake Dickson dumping
the Peoples Democratic Party for the All
Progressives Congress.
Also, loyalists of former governor, Chief Timipre Sylva,
have shifted allegiance to the APC in Bayelsa.
The APC in the state is chaired by former Security
Adviser to Sylva, Chief Richard Kpodo, while former
Youth Leader of PDP in the South-South, Mr.
Godwin Sidi, is the Interim State Secretary of the
APC.
Apart from Kpodo, Sidi and scores of Dickson’s
special advisers and commissioners, other defectors
include former Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local
Government, Mr. Timipa Orunemigha, alias Tiway.
The APC in the state will be inaugurated in Yenagoa,
the state capital, this week.
The defection to the APC has put paid to months of
political manoeuvrings and horse-trading, which had
characterised the PDP since the New PDP’s
conundrum.
Kpodo and other supporters had allegedly dumped
the PDP and embraced the then Baraje Kawu-led
nPDP for what they described as “lack of internal
democracy and culture of impunity”.
Confirming their defection, Sidi told The PUNCH that
their decision to move out of the PDP was due to
the failure of peace talks in the party.
He claimed that the APC boasted of over two million
supporters in Bayelsa.
The interim secretary said, “All arrangements have
been put in place for the APC and Kpodo, I and
other supporters find it expedient to move over to
the APC with our supporters.
“The decision to move to the APC was taken due to
the fact that every peace talk within the PDP has
failed and also we have found out that the PDP is
in life support and it will die very soon.
“We do not want to witness such a tragedy in a
political party we have tried over the years to build.
“The APC secretariat will be opened within this week
and we are solidly on ground. Kpodo will serve as
Interim Chairman and I will serve as Secretary until
party congress takes place.”
He urged Nigerians to stand up against Jonathan’s
third term oath in office.
He said anything beyond eight years in office was
unconstitutional, stressing that the APC would reject
it.
Copyright PUNCH.