Yenagoa: A political pressure group, the Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum (CBSF), has urged Gov. Douye Diri to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The group’s convener, Mr Wisdom Ikuli, appealed on Tuesday in Yenagoa, urging stakeholders to support the move to realign Bayelsa with the Federal Government.
Ikuli, who is also Governor Diri’s Technical Adviser on Print Media, stated that CBSF is non-partisan and includes members from various political backgrounds, including non-indigenes.
He said Bayelsa must urgently align with the APC, as many PDP figures allegedly conspired to deny Bayelsa and the Ijaws the Presidency in 2015.
He alleged there are plans to exploit the PDP’s internal crises and litigations to invalidate candidates who emerge from the party ahead of future elections.
Ikuli stressed that Bayelsa remains the only PDP state in the South South, now controlled by a few individuals who pose electoral risks for 2027.
He revealed that the CBSF would soon begin daily street rallies in Yenagoa to urge Diri to consider defection to the ruling APC.
Ikuli insisted that the governor’s defection is in Bayelsa’s best interest and should be considered non-negotiable and sacrosanct.
He recalled that Ijaw leaders, such as Chiefs Dappa-Biriye and Melford Okilo, advised alignment with the centre for development due to the region’s remoteness.
Ikuli said that past alignment with the PDP, while it ruled nationally, enabled Bayelsa to produce both the Vice President and the President in Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
He lamented that Ijaws are now excluded from top federal roles, including the Presidency, Vice Presidency, and Service Chiefs, weakening their political relevance.
“Despite their population and contribution, Ijaws remain marginalised due to a lack of alignment with the ruling party,” Ikuli added.
He argued that the Ijaws, which contribute over 65% of Nigeria’s oil wealth, have become powerless because they are not aligned with the Federal Government.
Ikuli explained that Nigeria’s North-South power rotation system emphasises that the South must complete its eight-year term under President Bola Tinubu’s current administration.
He noted that Tinubu is committed to strengthening the South and has appointed several Ijaw sons and daughters into key positions.
Ikuli appreciated Tinubu’s appointments, including Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of Oil and Chief Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director of the NDDC.
He also mentioned Chief Ebitimi Amgbare as the Managing Director of NDDBA and Preye Aganaba as Executive Director at the South South Development Commission.
Ikuli thanked the President for approving the federal takeover of the Nembe-Brass Road Second Phase, a key project linking Bayelsa to the Atlantic Ocean.
He said this development shows Tinubu’s commitment to Bayelsa and urged the governor to show solidarity by joining Southern APC governors.
Ikuli added that aligning with the federal government is crucial for realising the Agge Seaport, which will boost the economy and ensure prosperity.
