The Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Print Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli, has appealed to political stakeholders to support the defection of Senator Douye Diri, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Hon. Ikuli, the convener of Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders, a group comprising indigenes and non-indigenes resident in the state, made the appeal during a world press conference in Yenagoa, on Tuesday.

According to Ikuli, there is urgent need for Bayelsa to join the APC, the party in power, because most of the characters left in the PDP are people who conspired to deny Bayelsa State and indeed the entire Ijaw Nation, a second term at the Presidency in 2015.

Explaining further, he said there are concluded arrangements to hide under the excuse of crisis and countless court cases in PDP at different levels to work to nullify the nomination of all candidates that will emerge under the party platform.

Bayelsa State, he said, is presently standing alone as the only PDP state in the whole of South South, noting that the greatest challenge is the hijack of the PDP by few individuals who have set up traps for Bayelsa citizens in 2027, particularly those who intend to fly the flag of the PDP.

He assured Bayelsa citizens that in the next few days, the concerned Bayelsa stakeholders will begin a daily Rally on the streets of Yenagoa to prevail on the governor to consider his defection to the APC, stressing that his move is non-negotiable and sacrosanct.

Parts of his address read: ?Our fathers, High Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye and Chief (Sen.) Dr. Melford Obiene Okilo, admonished the Ijaw Nation to always align with the government at the centre largely due to our distance from the centre and our difficult terrain in order to attract development to our area.

?For instance, our adherence to their advice and our alignment with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that was the government at the centre helped Bayelsa State and the Ijaw Nation to produce the Vice President and later, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of this country in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan.

?Sadly, today Bayelsans and Ijaws in general are not among first 40 Nigerians from the Offices of the President, Vice President and Services Chiefs. Ijaws have been relegated and rendered politically and economically redundant and impotent because we are not with the government at the centre.

?Ironically, Ijaws who are the majority in terms of population in the geographic Niger Delta area (South South) and the fourth largest tribe in the country, Ijaw Nation that contribute well over 65% of the oil and gas wealth that are used to run the affairs of the country have been rendered powerless because of our non-alignment with the ruling party.

?Again, there is a power sharing and rotation system between the North and South. The North having done their complete eight (8) years under late President Muhammadu Buhari is supposed to support the South to complete her own eight (8) years under incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is working round the clock to strengthen the South.

?The President has graciously appointed illustrious sons and daughters of Ijaw Nation and Bayelsa State in particular into key offices.

?We appreciate his appointment of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Chief Samuel Ogbuku as MD of NDDC, Chief Ebitimi Amgbare as MD of NDDBA and Hon. Preye Aganaba as the Executive Director of Human Resources of South South Development Commission (SSDC).

?We also thank President Tinubu for approving Federal Government takeover of the Second Phase of the Nembe-Brass Road that will help to link the Ocean where the vast wealth of Bayelsa State is.

?It is based on the above that we unanimously appeal to the Governor to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to show Southern Solidarity with other Southern Governors who are with Mr. President. (Tribune)

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