The Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, has said despite the recent defection by some leaders of the Bayelsa Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC) he would win in the fort coming December 5 gubernatorial election.
Governor Seriake Dickson
He stated this in an interview with some selected Nigerian newspapers. Dickson said the deflection won’t shake the PDP stressing that PDP has it root in the people of Bayelsa unlike the APC.
“Yes, some leaders of our party are defecting. But, you have to understand the background. Almost all of them who are defecting want to be governors and these persons know that within PDP they have no way of becoming governorship flag-bearers of the party. For them, it means going to another platform to fight for governorship ticket to contest the election. But, APC in Bayelsa is not a party on ground and, do not be deceived, even at national level they are crumbling. You will see PDP will rise again very soon.
“APC in Bayelsa is a political party that has no membership following but has only governorship candidates; the members are only governorship aspirants. Where was APC when we conducted the House of Assembly election? How many APC legislators do we have in Bayelsa? This is a PDP state, this is a PDP stronghold. Two factors come into play, ambition which is legitimate as long as they do not resort to violence for we are brothers and sisters and friends and I remain their governor.
“We are waiting to see who their candidate will be that can match ‘the talk na do governor’ project for project, vision for vision, ideas for ideas. We are waiting for a very robust campaign. Apart from those who are going in because of their ambition? We will see what happens after their primaries because I have not done anything bad to any of them, it is all politics and some are just calling a dog a bad name.
“You are also aware that our party for the first time lost power at the centre and I think it is immoral for the people who have been nurtured by the PDP over the years to defect. Many decamp because of personal ambition and to be available for federal appointment. Well, we can only wish them well.
“By the constitution, you cannot stop anybody from changing his affiliation to a political party so a number of them say they are going or have gone. These same people before the cock crowed three times like Peter did in the Bible, some of them were as close to Jesus like Peter to the former President (Goodluck Jonathan), decamped,” he said.
Speaking about the leader of the APC in the state, Timipre Sylva who is a former governor of the state, Dickson said he has no problem with him adding that Timipre is his brother.
“I do not have any problems even with the leader of the opposition party in the state, the former Governor (Timipre Sylva). He is my friend and brother, but his politics is what I disagree with. But, his own case is even understandable because he was there as part of the formation of the APC for whatever personal reasons. But, people who stayed with us till we did elections should know APC does not need them.
“Where were they when APC was battling to get votes and register their party to secure votes for their President? They think because we have lost, the Ijaw nation should be humiliated and they are not going quietly.
“They are the ones that are talking, but the good news is that the ordinary people of Ijaw nation will rise up and say no to this display of greed of the highest order where people cannot subordinate their own personal greed for position at the federal level for the common good,”he said.
It would be recalled that a both Moses Siasia and Timi Alaibe, who are intrested in Mr Dickson’s job had dumped the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
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