Several members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, led by a popular grassroots politician and mobiliser, Mr Bekeowei Ogbemudia, have dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Announcing their formal defection from the NDC during a solidarity visit to the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Pastor Peter Pereotubo Akpe, at the Government House, Yenagoa, Mr Ogbemudia cited disunity, unilateral and undemocratic decision-making as some of the reasons that necessitated their exit.

He described claims of the opposition party being formidable in Bayelsa as an empty boast and mere social media propaganda, insisting that the NDC stands no chance of winning any election in the state.

“My name is Hon. Bekeowei Ogbemudia. I am from Toru-Angiama, Ward 5, Unit 2 in Sagbama Local Government Area. I was in the NDC, but I’m now back to the APC.

“It is very clear that APC in Bayelsa will have a landslide victory in the 2027 general elections because it not only has structures, but is silently expanding and strengthening its support base.”

“The reason I’m leaving NDC is that the party is not united. It is disorganised. And the level of imposition and dictatorship is unbearable.

“You know that there are field workers in every political party. The leadership of NDC does not recognise their field workers. They will always disagree with you and insist that whatever they say is final.

“They are always fighting one another. There is no peace there, and I cannot remain where there is no peace, and where your opinion or ideas on how to win an election are not regarded.

“So, we have decided to pull out because all the people who understand us are in the APC. We have come back to our own, where we have peace to work with our people.

“On the question of how many people are decamping with us, there are so many. The people you are seeing here are unit leaders and field workers. Several of our people are at home waiting for us.

“We only came today to identify with our leader, the deputy governor. But we will soon come back with the crowd. Almost everybody in Toru-Angiama is APC.

“NDC is going nowhere. I can tell you categorically that APC will win NDC hands down in Sagbama. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you with what they are doing or saying on social media.”

In his response, the Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe, thanked the defectors for retracing their steps back to their original political family and assured them of equal opportunities in the APC.

He urged them to join other APC faithful to embark on issue-based door-to-door campaigns with a view to winning the forthcoming general elections convincingly in the state. (The Sun)

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