Some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa, including the party’s Youth Leader, Nunieh Odede, have dumped the party.
Odede and others switched allegiance from Gov. Douye Diri to the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, ahead of the November 11 poll in the state.
In a handwritten letter sighted on Monday in Yenagoa, Odede announced his resignation from PDP while other principal aides of the governor also resigned their positions to campaign for Sylva.
A statement signed on Monday by Sylva’s Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Julius Bokoru, confirmed that Odede held a meeting with the APC governorship hopeful.
Bokoru quoted Odede as saying at the meeting: “We have spent years with the PDP and we built the party to where it is.
“It is imperative we move on now in the light of what is happening in the state.
“Bayelsa is comatose and we cannot keep doing the old things and expect to get it right.
“Our resignation from PDP, honestly, is to save our dear state from further ruin.”
The statement also quoted Sylva to have commended the courage of Odede and other defectors, who chose the progress and development of the state over selfish gains.
According to the statement, Sylva said: “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”.
The statement listed those who defected from PDP to APC including the Director, Bayelsa State Environmental Authority, Abiah Oyisor and the Governor’s Representative, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Ayaye Obuma.
The other aides to the governor were Itu Goodluck, Timipa Ile and Olali.
Bokoru also stated that the defectors would be formally received by thousands of their supporters at a formal endorsement ceremony.