Bayelsa Election: 2000 ex- deputy governor’s kinsmen defect to PDP
Felix Okoye
Former Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Werinipre Seibarugu at the weekend lost over 2000 of his kinsmen as they defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a campaign rally held in Gbarain and Ekpetiama clans of Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Seriake Dickson and his campaign team were in the communities to meet with the people in continuation of his grassroots tour.
The people of the clans said PDP was the only party that has been fair to the communities in terms of political appointment and provision of infrastructure.
They praised Dickson for his leadership and efforts to change the fortunes of the state from the situation he inherited to a promising one and declared that he deserved to be re-elected.
They consequently pledged their support to ensure that the people vote en-masse for the governor at the December 5 election.
To further support their endorsement for the governor, the people chorused the same line of appreciation of the governor, saying the PDP accorded their communities a priority by making their son; Seibarugu, the speaker and subsequently the deputy governor of the state.
While denouncing their membership of the APC, they pledged to work for the governor’s re-election with conviction that he would deliver on his promises to further enhance development in their communities.
At Ogboloma, headquarters of ward 7 in Yenagoa Constituency 2, Mr. Obalakumo Agent, who led other decampees to the PDP, disclosed that they were hoodwinked to join the APC, stressing that the party did not mean well for the state but only believed in propaganda and blackmail.
Similarly, at Polaku community, hometown of the member representing the constituency in the state house of assembly, Hon. Ebiowou Koku, PDP also received a crowd of decampees.
Receiving the defectors, Acting Chairman of PDP, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff, described them as great members of the party who were only distracted by the opposition party and assured them of full integration.
Governor Seriake Dickson who addressed the mega rally at Okolobiri thanked the people for their support and urged them to troop out to voteon December 5 without any fear of molestation.
