By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
Key chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State, including the party’s Youth leader, Hon. Nunieh Odede, have dumped the party in favour of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva.
In a handwritten letter on Monday September 17, Hon. Nunieh announced his resignation from the PDP. Following suit, other principal aides of the governor vacated their offices to camp with Chief Sylva.
In an endorsement meeting with Sylva on Wednesday, Nunieh stated ‘We have spent years with the PDP and we built the party to where it is. It is imperative we move on now in light of what is happening in the state.
“Bayelsa is in a comatose state and we cannot keep doing the old things and expect to get it right. Our resignation from the PDP, honestly, is to save our dear state from further ruin,” they said.
In a message to the press on Monday, Chief Sylva, through his spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, wrote “Youths are always the driving force of every society, youths also embody and gives a trajectory of what the future would look like.
“Your decision today is heroic and selfless, you have placed state over self and beyond even the elections you instill in us all that Bayelsa State is bound to do well.”
Sylva welcomed the move of the PDP stakeholders and “invited them to the divine duty of advancing society.”
Among the high-profile team that decamped from Diri to Sylva is Comr. Abiah Joseph Oyisor (director, Bayelsa State Evironmental Authority), Hon.Ayaye Obuma (governor’s representative, Yenegoa LGA), Hon. Itu Goodluck (special adviser, Special Duties to the Governor), Hon. Timipa Ile (special adviser, Special Duties to the Governor) and Hon. Olali Suwofien (special adviser, Special Duties)
After their resignation from the PDP and endorsement of APC and Chief Sylva, it is expected that they would be received in a formal endorsement ceremony with their teeming supporters.
Political analysts have posited that these high-profile massive defections in Yenagoa LGA has eroded what was left of Douye Diri’s chance of winning the state capital Yenagoa, especially the Epie/Atissa kingdoms were Sylva is reportedly making mammoth gains.
Similarly, days ago deputy governorship candidate of the APC Joshua Maciver received thousands of defectors from Sagbama LGA and the home of the imcumbent deputy governor of Bayelsa State.
