Bayelsa guber election: Sylva loses more loyalists as Seibarugu, supporters dump APC

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayelsa State has suffered a huge blow following the defection of the Seibarugu Political Dynasty to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The influential group in the APC, comprising of thousands of members across the state, is led by a former Acting Governor and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Werinipre Seibarugu.

At a formal declaration during a meeting with Governor Douye Diri in 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 is peaceful and development-oriented.

Waripamo said after assessing Governor 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 than to join hands with him to move Bayelsa forward.

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.”

Also speaking, the PDP National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyengikuro, said he led members of the party in the Gbarain-Ekpetiama axis of Yenagoa Local Government Area to formally introduce the Seibarugu Dynasty to the governor.

In his remarks, the state PDP chairman, Mr. Solomon Agwana, welcomed the group and assured that the members will not be discriminated against.

Responding, Governor Douye Diri expressed appreciation to leader of the Seibarugu Dynasty and described Seibarugu as a man of conviction and integrity.

He commended his decision to return to the PDP with thousands of his supporters.

Diri said the APC in the state was a deceitful party that does not mean well for its development, saying its candidate, a former governor, had nothing reasonable to show for his time in office.

In a related development, Governor Diri warned that any traditional ruler that allowed election violence in his domain would be deposed.

He gave the warning at the weekend when he led the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign team on a visit to the palace of the Okpo XXI of Okpoama Kingdom, King Ebitimi Banigo, at Okpoama in Brass Local Government Area of the state.

“Let me caution that any traditional ruler that connives to breach the peace during the election risks being dethroned by my administration. We will not condone electoral violence as a government that upholds democratic principles,” he said.