Hot Source•Quits with whole of party structure
•Ben Bruce joins APC
•Dickson reiterates loyalty to party
• PDP appoints Ben Obi convention secretary
Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
Twenty-four hours after Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, also resigned from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) along with his entire cabinet, but remained silent on his next move.
Equally yesterday, business magnet and former Senator for Bayelsa East, Ben Bruce, dumped PDP and joined APC.
Announcing his defection, the founder of Silverbird Group hinged his decision on his longstanding relationship with President Bola Tinubu and belief in the president’s vision for Nigeria.
Diri’s resignation from the opposition party followed weeks of speculation, which he confirmed on Wednesday, when he left with about 17 members of the PDP caucus in the House of Assembly.
The governor made the development known yesterday at the State Executive Council meeting held at Government House, Yenagoa, the state capital.
Aside from the 17 Assembly members from PDP, two members from All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), alongside Speaker, Mr. Abraham Ingobere, also joined the governor to quit PDP.
Though rumour had it that he was defecting to APC, Diri, who thanked supporters for their steadfastness and loyalty, did not disclose the party he was going.
He stated at the SEC meeting, “I hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party and I am not going to resign alone. As you can see, I am here with the Speaker, the deputy speaker and all other members of our party, who will as well go with me
“There are some who are not here now and that’s because they are on official duty. Today, I have formally resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party for obvious reasons.
“I am grateful to all all my friends and supporters who had stood by me and with me and all over again and together we will continue to build a virile Bayelsa State and a stronger and virile country by extension.”
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, had earlier in his verified Facebook account, confirmed the development.
Ben Bruce Dumps PDP, Joins APC
Announcing his decision, the founder of Syverbird Group stated, “I have known President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since 1998; a man of courage, conviction, and results. For the first time, Nigeria has a leader who truly understands finance and is laying the foundation for lasting prosperity.
“Yes, the reforms are tough, but they are necessary for a stronger, freer economy.
“Insecurity is being dismantled, the naira is stabilising, infrastructure is rising, and confidence is returning.
“That’s why today, I’m joining the All Progressives Congress (APC), not for politics, but for progress. I believe in this vision, in this reform, and in this future.”
PDP Expresses Disappointment in Mbah
PDP said it was disappointed by the defection of Mbah to APC.
That was as the crisis in PDP worsened, as the chairmen of the party in Abia and Imo states were yesterday suspended by the forum of PDP state chairmen for plotting to circumvent the national convention slated for November 16.
National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed that yesterday, during an interview on Channels Television.
Ologunagba said, “The PDP is utterly disappointed by those actions, having regard to what we know behind the scenes.
“But having said that, people have a right to decide what they want to do; the consequences can follow.”
Ologunagba also said PDP was aware of moles undermining the party’s progress.
He stated, “There are some people from within our fold that continue to undermine the party and its progress. We recognise that, but we are dealing with that.
“I compare this to a situation where you have a madman in a China shop; you must be methodical; you must be deliberate in trying to exit that.
“As a party, we are focused on the Nigerian people; we don’t want to put too much premium on the individual because it is not based on individuals; it is based on the people, and that is our strength.”
PDP is set to hold its national convention in Ibadan in November to try to rejuvenate and reposition for future elections.
Ologunagba said, “We are going to go to Ibadan, coming out victoriously with a brand new National Working Committee that will continue to steer the affairs of the party. You must have a party before you can talk about candidates.
“So, that’s what we want to do — create a very solid foundation, find the people who have character, integrity, and capacity and courage to run the affairs of the party so that Nigerians can then have a choice.”
Dickson: I Remain Loyal to PDP
Former Bayelsa State governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, said he remained loyal to PDP, despite the resignation of his home governor, Diri, from the party.
Dickson stated, “Also today, I have been bombarded since morning when the news broke of the defection of the governor of my state, His Excellency Senator Duoye Diri, who said he resigned from the PDP with his executives and 14 members of the PDP, out of the 17 PDP-elected members of the state House of Assembly. It is a major development in the politics of our state.
“Our state, which has been in the PDP since 1999 till date, is now midway being donated to the APC free of charge. I’ve told all those who have been bombarding me with questions that I am not moving. I am still in the PDP. My life and values about constancy, consistency, principles, honour, and loyalty to people and causes have not changed.
“I, more than anyone, since we lost in the 2015 presidential election, have been at the forefront, bearing the brunt in unspeakable terms of keeping the state PDP and fighting to elevate the governor and everyone else in the state to the current positions, which they hold on the platform of the PDP.
“It is unfortunate that my hand-picked successor, whose consideration was influenced mainly by the need to protect the values and ideals of the state and of the Ijaw nation, sees things differently.”
Dickson stressed, “The PDP has a special place in the history of Bayelsa, the Ijaw nation, and the Niger Delta, and all so-called minorities and majority groups in Nigeria, as well as all faiths, because it is an inclusive platform.
“The PDP gave my people an opportunity to be Vice President, Acting President, and a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And I branded it, since 2015, as governor, the party of the Ijaw nation — the same way I branded Bayelsa the Jerusalem of the Ijaw nation.
“I believe that I and other leaders and all products of the PDP, of Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation, have a duty to show loyalty and steadfastness to the PDP to the very end.”
The senator said, “I’m aware of the challenges in the party caused by the governors — the lack of leadership and focus of the governors and the members of the National Working Committee who decided to tear the party to pieces on irrelevant issues, even up till now.
“But I believe that captains who are truly deserving of their ranks are the last to bail out. Any captain or pilot deserving of his rank and place must do everything to salvage a troubled ship or craft and must be the last to bail out. I believe that time has not come.
“This was why, when the PDP lost in 2015, I devoted a lot of time as Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee, working with others to galvanise and reposition the party and all governors and leaders. We stood our ground to reorganise and save the party and position it for the 2019 election, which we believe we won.”
Dickson said Diri had consulted him before the resignation. “And we have discussed several times, and on each occasion, I told him my position, based on my principles and values, which he knows,” the senator said.
He added, “And these are the same values that I had in mind when I supported him above other equally worthy contestants, because of our collective involvement in the Ijaw movement and the Niger Delta struggle.
“His area, the smallest local government, had not produced a governor before, and he has been a part of my team since 2012. It is unfortunate that he has taken this step, which he is at liberty to take.
“As I said, these days, you don’t know what is pursuing most of these governors and leaders defecting to the APC, or what they are pursuing. I wish him the best of luck.”
Dickson said, “I use this opportunity to call on all in Bayelsa to be calm and go about the politicking that will unfold from now till the 2027 elections peacefully. Even in the face of a crippling recession and an unprecedented federally backed opposition subversion, I did a lot to build peace and stability, and to take the state away from criminality and violence. And this governor, to his credit, is also building on that foundation.
“I enjoin all not to hide under the politicking that this will generate to undermine the peace that we have secured in Bayelsa for over 15 years. It is on account of my commitment to peace that, since leaving government, I have not made any comment, nor have I behaved as a godfather — putting pressure or even making demands or interfering — and that has brought us thus far, showing maturity and tolerance to this level.
“I assure everyone in Bayelsa that I will continue to do that, even in this situation moving forward. I commend the loyalty and steadfastness of all officials and leaders in the state who have decided to keep faith with the PDP in this trying time. I also commend the abiding loyalty of the people who, we know, constitute the organic membership and strength that the PDP has always enjoyed.
“I will consult with other leaders of the party to begin the process of repositioning the PDP as the opposition that we have suddenly become.”
PDP Appoints Ben Obi as Secretary of 2025 Elective Convention Committee, Replaces Mbah
National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP, on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC), approved the appointment of Senator Ben Obi as Secretary of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) for the 2025 PDP Elective National Convention scheduled to hold 15-16 November in Ibadan. This became necessary following the defection of Mbah to APC on Tuesday.
In a statement by Ologunagba, NWC also commended the NCOC under the chairmanship of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State for its efforts towards the success of the 2025 National Convention.
NWC called on all leaders, critical stakeholders and members of PDP to remain united, steadfast and focused on the successful conduct of the national convention and the overall progress of our great party.
