September 18, (THEWILL) – Key Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa state, including the party’s Youth Leader, Hon. Nunieh Odede, have dumped the party in favour of the APC’s governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva.
In a handwritten letter on Monday, September 18, Hon. Nunieh announced his resignation from the PDP. Following suit, other principal aides of the governor vacated their offices to camp with Chief Sylva.
In an endorsement meeting with Sylva, on Wednesday, Nunieh stated that “we have spent years with the PDP and we built the party to where it is. It is imperative we move on now in light of what is happening in the state.
“Bayelsa is in a comatose state and we cannot keep doing the old things and expect to get it right. Our resignation from the PDP, honestly, is to save our dear state from further ruin.”
In a message to the press on Monday, Chief Sylva, through his spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, wrote: “Youths are always the driving force of every society, youths also embody and give a trajectory of what the future would look like.
“Your decisions today are heroic and selfless, you have placed state over self and beyond even the elections you instil in us all that Bayelsa state is bound to do well.”
Sylva welcomed the move of the PDP stakeholders and invited them to the divine duty of advancing society.
Among the high-profile teams that flipped from Diri to Sylva is Comr. Abiah Joseph Oyisor (Director Bayelsa State Environmental Authority), Hon.Ayaye Obuma (Governor’s Representative Yenegoa LGA), Hon. Itu Goodluck (Special Adviser Special Duties to the Governor), Hon. Timipa Ile (Special Adviser Special Duties to the Governor) and Hon. Olali Suwofien (Special Adviser Special Duties).
After their resignation from the PDP and endorsement of APC and Chief Sylva, it is expected that they would be received in a formal endorsement ceremony with dozens of thousands of their supporters.
Political analysts have posited that these high-profile massive defections in Yenagoa LGA have eroded what was left of Douye Diri’s chance of winning the capital Yenagoa, especially the Epie/Atissa kingdoms where Sylva is making mammoth gains.
Similarly, days ago, deputy Governorship candidate of the APC Joshua Maciver received thousands of defectors from Sagbama LGA, the home of the incumbent Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state.
