Some political allies of Chief Timipre Sylva, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 11, off-cycle governorship election in the state have left the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Among them are supporters of the former acting Governor of Bayelsa State and Speaker of the House of Assembly during Chief Timipre Sylva’s tenure as governor, Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, who allegedly fell out with Sylva in the build up to the APC governorship primary.
Seibarugu was among the former state legislators who visited Governor Douye Diri last month to declare their support for his re-election.
At a formal declaration during a meeting with Governor Diri in the Government House, Yenagoa, Coordinator of the Seibarugu Dynasty, Mr Ebiye Waripamo, said they were attracted to the PDP by the governor’s leadership style that was peaceful and development-oriented.
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Waripamo said after assessing Diri’s performance in almost four years, particularly the prevailing peace and security, as well as the ongoing developmental projects across the state, they were left with no choice but to join hands with him to move Bayelsa forward.
He assured the governor and members of the PDP of their unalloyed commitment to his re-election on November 11, 2023.
He said, “We left Jerusalem and went to Egypt but now we are back in Jerusalem, and this is where we will stay. We are not going back again.
“Your Excellency, we have seen your developmental strides in the state and we are impressed. We came back to PDP because of your leadership style.”
Also speaking, the PDP National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyengikuro, said he led members of the party in the Gbarain-Ekpetiama axis of Yenagoa LGA to formally introduce the Seibarugu dynasty to the governor.
Describing members of the group as the main opposition elements in Yenagoa Constituency 2, Woyengikuro expressed optimism that by joining the PDP, election in the constituency would be a walkover for the ruling party.
Responding, Governor Diri expressed appreciation to Seibarugu and described him as a man of conviction and integrity. He commended his decision to return to the PDP with thousands of his supporters.
He said that the APC in the state was a deceitful party that did not mean well for its development, saying its candidate had nothing reasonable to show for his time in office as governor.
