PDP suffers heavy loss in Bayelsa as serving commissioner, others defect to APC

macfranc007 June 21, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Nurudeen Lawal

- A serving commissioner under Governor Dickson of Bayelsa state has defected to the APC

- Also, a former director, Centre for Youth Development, under Dickson-led administration dumped the PDP for the APC alongside other supporters

- The APC welcomed the new members saying it will take over Bayelsa state from the PDP in 2020

The Bayelsa state commissioner for youth development, Otobo Ibarakumo, has reportedly resigned his appointment with Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration with immediate effect.

Ibarakumo and his supporters on Wednesday, June 20, dumped Dickson’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, The Punch reports.

Apart from Ibarakumo and his supporters, NAIJ.com gathered that a former director, Centre for Youth Development, representing Nembe local government in Dickson’s administration, also defected with his supporters to the APC.

At an elaborate event that took place at the state APC secretariat at Yenizue-Gene, Yenagoa, many leaders of the party were on ground to receive the PDP defectors.

Present at the ceremony were a member representing Brass Constituency 1 in the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Israel Sunny-Goli; Wilberforce Igiri, running mate to former Governor Timipre Sylva in 2015 governorship election; state chairman, APC, Jonathan Amos; member, Board of Trustees, Peres Peretu, among others.

Receiving the new members into the APC, the leader of the party in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, represented by Sunny-Goli, congratulated them on their decision to dump the PDP.

He boasted that the APC would take over the Creek Haven (Bayelsa Government House) in 2020, urging party faithful to come together to ensure the defeat of the PDP.

He said the PDP government in Bayelsa was only suffering the people without anything to show for it, alleging that there was a culture of poverty and lack of welfare for the people in the state.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported Senator Dino melaye, the lawmaker representing Kogi west at the national assembly, lambasted the leadership of the APC, describing it as weak.

The senator also alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari was controlling the party like a steering party and had made the car leadership lifeless.

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