A former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ndutumi Alaibe, has reconciled with Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri after years of feud.
It was learnt that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state played a role in the reconciliation process in the bid to strengthen the PDP in Bayelsa State.
The two Bayelsa politicians parted ways following the build-up of crisis after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries, where Alaibe lost out, with Diri winning by 561 votes.
It was gathered that Wike had visited Diri at Government House, Yenagoa in the company of two former deputy speakers of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara and Chibudom Nwuche; former Rivers governor, Celestine Omehia and former minister of transport, Chief Abiye Sekibo, where he called for peace between the feuding duo.
According to sources, Diri was said to have accepted Wike’s advice and promised that should Alaibe make a reconciliatory move again, he would accept it.
Wike, in turn, implored Opara and Sekibo to speak with Alaibe on the need to end the feud in the interest of Bayelsa and the national PDP politics.
Alaibe, who heeded Wike’s advice over the weekend, visited Diri in Yenagoa in the company of Opara and Sekibo with a mutual associate, Olice Kemenanbo from Opokuma, and state lawmakers, Tonye Isenah and Wisdom Fafi.
In a Facebook post after the visit, Alaibe confirmed that he had reconciled with Diri, explaining that he found it necessary “to put an end to the ugly past, drop political differences and re-establish an age-old friendship with my brother and State Governor, Douye Diri.”
“Time has healed the wounds, and I have chosen to do the right thing. There is no doubt that the reconciliation will surprise a lot of people, particularly some political jobbers who profited from our temporary silence. What has happened might also be misinterpreted and given various colouration by different people. But the truth is that I have chosen to listen to the voice of wisdom and re-establish a cherished relationship which politics tried to destroy,” he added.
