“The apparent looming defection of Diri from the PDP to the APC is getting nearer by the day as a group under the coordination of Wisdom Ikuli, one of his media aides has urged him to make the move,” a report read.
“There have been rumours of Governor Diri’s defection ever since other fellow South South governors had all decided to join the ruling APC, but such talks have been rubbished by some of his aides in the past, until Tuesday’s declaration by a group led by Ikuli, his Technical Adviser on Media.”
Addressing some stakeholders and journalists in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, Ikuli, the convener of the Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum (CBSF), said the call for the governor to join the APC was sacrosanct and inevitable to align the state with the central to achieve more development projects for the people.
Ikuli, in his address talked about some of the uncomplicated projects abandoned by successive Federal Governments, including the Agge Seaports and numerous others, which he said will not only open Bayelsa to the world but lead to the state’s economic development and job creations for the residents.
“Having said that, we wish to proceed to the crux which is the need to appeal to His Excellency to take a decisive step to align with the government at the centre,” he said .
“Our fathers, High Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye and Chief (Sen.) Dr Melford Obiene Okilo admonished the Ijaw Nation to always align with the government at the centre largely due to our distance from the centre and our difficult terrain in order to attract development to our area.
“For instance, our adherence to their advice and our alignment with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that was the government at the centre helped Bayelsa State and the Ijaw Nation to produce the Vice President and later, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of this country in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Sadly, today Bayelsans and Ijaws in general are not among first 40 Nigerians from the Offices of the President, Vice President and Services Chiefs.
“Ijaws have been relegated and rendered politically and economically redundant and impotent because we are not with the government at the centre.
“Ironically, Ijaws who are the majority in terms of population in the geographic Niger Delta area (South South) and the fourth largest tribe in the country, Ijaw Nation that contribute well over 65% of the oil and gas wealth that are used to run the affairs of the country have been rendered powerless because of our non-alignment with the ruling party.
“Again, there is a power sharing and rotation system between the North and South. The North having done their complete eight (8) years under late President Muhammadu Buhari is supposed to support the South to complete her own eight (8) years under incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is working round the clock to strengthen the South.
“Presently, Bayelsa State is standing alone as the only PDP state in the whole of South South. The above may not be too much issue. The greatest challenge here is the hijack of the PDP by few individuals and the very dangerous traps that they have set for Bayelsans in 2027 particularly those that intend to fly the flag of PDP.
“There are concluded arrangements to hide under the excuse of crisis and countless court cases in PDP at different levels to work to nullify the nomination of all candidates that will emerge under the party platform. So, we can imagine the pains, agony and disarray that the state shall experience if the state remains in PDP.”
According to Ikuli, the ongoing opposition coalition of political parties is an embodiment of people who conspired to deny Bayelsa State and indeed the entire Ijaw Nation, a second term at the Presidency in 2015, saying that the coalition can never be an option.
“It is based on the above that we unanimously appeal to the Governor to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to show Southern Solidarity with other Southern Governors who are with Mr. President,” he said.
“But as we move forward, one of the greatest priorities in the alliance with the centre should be the actualization of the Agge Seaport that will help to boost the state economy and also bring about unimaginable transformation and prosperity.”
