Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered a major setback in Bayelsa State as over 500 of its members defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to a statement made available on the state government’s Facebook page on Thursday, the defectors were kinsmen of the late Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
The state’s Deputy Governor, Peter Akpe, received the defectors on behalf of Governor Douye Diri.
Among the defectors was a retired Permanent Secretary and elder brother of the late deputy governor, Dr Christopher Ewhrudjakpo.
Diri assured them that there was no discrimination in the APC in Bayelsa State. He also called on others who were yet to join the party to do so, stressing that the APC was well prepared and strong enough to win all forthcoming elections.
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Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Ewhrudjakpo, who also serves as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, said most of them were from Wards 3 and 4 of the Ofoni Federated Communities in Constituency One of Sagbama Local Government Area. He noted that the present deputy governor hailed from the same state constituency as the former.
He further stated that Diri had been very generous to the Ofoni people, adding that wherever the governor led, they would follow.
Dignitaries at the event included the former Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Kemi Prefa; Director of Transportation at Government House, Chief Lucky Youbougha; Director-General of the Bayelsa State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency, Barrister Embeleakpo Apere; APC Sagbama West Senatorial Vice Chairman, Mr Akwaka B. Akwaka;.
Assistant Publicity Secretary of APC in Bayelsa State, Hon. Kemenanaebi Ogbe; APC Chairman in Sagbama, Hon. Arioka Uhwoma; APC Sagbama Secretary, Hon. Obidake Funkeyi Kerry; Coordinator of Renewed Hope Ambassadors in Sagbama LGA, Chief Okubokakpo Ombu; Hon. Ayakeme Whisky; Engineer Olice Kemenanabo; and other top government functionaries.
The defection came months after Diri left the PDP for the APC.
