Dickson Mocks Sylva As Four Bayelsa APC Chieftains Defect To PDP

Seriake Dickson, Governor of Bayelsa State, has mocked the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor Timipre Sylva over the "rising cases of defection into the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state"

He also predicted that the activities of APC in Bayelsa would soon "wind up".

Dickson was speaking during a state media chat after the defection of APC chieftains led by Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); Chief Gideon Ekeowe, former Secetary to Government and the state agent of APC during the 2016 governorship poll; Chief Nathan Egba, former APC Governorship Campaign Director (Media and Publicity) and one-time PDP state chairman, Chief Rufus Abadi, popularly known as Barbaru.

Dickson labelled APC as "the other party", noting that the recent gale of defections witnessed was part of his mandate to the PDP to ensure that the APC "winds up" its activities in the state before the 2019 general election.

He said: "We are going to wind up the other party (APC); that other party whose politics is about violence and killings; that other party whose leaders are not interested in the development of our people and the state; that other party that does not have respect and regard for those that have worked hard for them; that other party that makes appointments based on man-know-man and percentage of votes; that other party that has never worked for the common good of the people of Bayelsa."

The governor commended the PDP leadership and the political desk of his administration, and explained that he agreed to personally receive the APC defectors because of his respect for their persons.

He said: "I am the only one that has ever defeated the ruling party at the centre with their federal might. They fought me very hard, but with God and the people we won. You can see what they did in other states with inconclusive and rerun elections. But I defeated them despite all they did.

"After all, with tribunal, and even shifting the tribunal to Abuja, the Appeal Court and Supreme Court, we won. We have no reason to fight in the game. People in opposition are not our enemies. I'm using the Bayelsa example to politicians at the national level to treat opposition with love and respect."

Dickson also announced that those who defected would be received at a mega rally slated for Tuesday.