Just as Bayelsa State is preparing for the December 5 governorship election, 800 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The defectors, including Senator John Brambiafa and Chief Alex Ekiotenne were received in a ceremony attended by a crowd of PDP faithful at the Peace Park, Yenagoa, by members of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), the State Working Committee (SWC) and the state Governor, Chief Seriake Dickson.
Brambiafa and Ekiotenne were core loyalists of Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe, who recently issued a statement calling on Bayelsans to rally round APC governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva to win the coming governorship election.
The defectors, who claimed they were the authentic delegates of the APC in the just conducted governorship primary in the state, noted that they took the action in protest of the outcome of the primary.
As stated by the Chairman of the Forum of Authentic APC Delegates (FAAD), Mr. Amos Soko, the August 22 primary election of APC which was supposed to be peaceful, free, fair and credible was riddled with crisis.
He stated Alaibe who was a leading aspirant in the race, was asked to step down for an “anointed candidate” by the powers from above, in a rescheduled internal election following cancellation of the first exercise.
He said: “It was a sad and sorrowful day for the over 1000 authentic delegates who had signed up to pick Alaibe as the candidate of the APC. Since after that day, it has been mourning all the way as if the creator of Bayelsa died that day”.
Soko saluted the wisdom of Alaibe which he stated prevented bloodshed during the second exercise.
“Following this unacceptable travesty of internal democracy and in view of the fact that the so-called winners see every other person as conquered people, we have decided to support Dickson in the general election,” he stated.
In his remarks, Ekiotenne stated following the defections, the APC was dead in the state and would be buried on December 5.
He vowed to deliver 90 per cent of votes in Ekeremor, his local government area to PDP.
Speaking at the event, the PDP’s National Vice-Chairman, South-South, Mr. Cairo Ojougboh welcomed the detectors and stated the party would restore them to their former positions.
He stated the entire structures of the PDP in the country were in support of Dickson and would help him to defeat the APC at the election.
He stated further that the PDP remained the only democratic party in the country, adding that the party would not surrender the South-south to the APC.
Ojougboh tasked the current leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair and credible elections in the country. Dickson who welcomed the defectors back to the PDP described Ekiotenne and Brambaifa as great and patriotic leaders.
He stated their return to PDP had consoled him following the emptiness he felt at the death of a former Governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, whom he said, “they harassed and killed.”
“We have launched operation wind up APC in Bayelsa. This is just the beginning of the winding up exercise. We will not stop to receive our brothers and sisters who were misled,” he stated.