From Tayese Mike, Yenagoa

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson, Wednesday, assured Bayelsans that they would witness more political leaders defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the November 16, governorship election draws closer.

Speaking during a live media chat in Government House in Yenagoa, the State capital, Dickson said that the political leaders that defected from the PDP to the APC left without their followers, saying that the PDP family was still intact and ready to win the forthcoming election in the State.

Dickson explained that the forthcoming election would be decided by people and not polilical leaders and expressed the confidence that majority of the electorates in the State were solidly behind the PDP, willing to ensure its victory at the poll.

He further said that while the APC was celebrating the few members of the PDP that defected recently, he was quietly receiving strategic members of the APC who do not wish to have their names mentioned, and that close to the election their identities would be made public.

He said “elections are by the people and not leaders. Although leaders have a role to play but If you are only interested in leaders, you have failed already. Most of the leaders that defected to the APC from PDP are doing so alone, leaving their families and supporters behind.

“And what they don’t know is that their followers are in touch with me because I have direct contact with them. The followers have told me that they are happy that their leaders have left. If a leader defects and the followers have refused to go with him, what he has is just one vote.

“Even those leaders that have been paid to defect can be paid to move back to the PDP. And we are going to be seeing that from now till election day. Some can still be paid to remain in the APC but not work for them. I have been very generous in appointing people.

“Just yesterday we inaugurated 32 Rural Development Authority chairmen and they have been mandated to innuagurate a 14 man board. So multiply the appointees, 14 multiplied by 32 and you would know the strenght.

“The other day I appointed 60 Special Advisers. So in all we have over 3000 appointees at different levels. So defection does not really affect our capacity to win election. What they don’t know is that everyday, I am quietly receiving APC members. What I am targeting is their field workers.”

Meanwhile, the leadership of the APC has urged Bayelsans to disregard the claims of the Governor,  saying he is an habitual slanderer who uses intimidation as a tool to oppress rivals he cannot stand in a free and fair election.

In a statement issued by APC’s State Publicity Secretary and Secretary of the party’s 2019 Governorship Campaign Council, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, the APC said that Dickson’s comments recently were habitual trickery, meant to hide his nervousness by defaming the opponent, when jittery and faced with tough political opposition.

The chairman of the APC, Jothan Amos, was quoted as saying “APC is not distracted by those tricks and manifestation of defeat.
Dickson and his cohorts in PDP will suffer the inevitable outcome of embodying the elemental forces of failure: they will be roundly defeated by APC at the November 16, governorship election in Bayelsa State.

“At its elemental level, Governor Seriake Dickson’s deception machine has essentially run on creating falsehood around formidable opponents as a ploy to justify intended poll rigging and violence.

“The most basic step in this criminal strategy, as the whole world is witnessing currently, has always been to identify intimidating rivals they cannot stand in a fair poll, cast mud at them, and then activate an electoral manipulation process, using thugs, corrupt officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and some dishonest security personnel.

“The immoral scheme had worked for Dickson in the past, but it will never work again. We know it as a matter of fact that Governor Dickson has converted the Bayelsa State Government House into a den of thieves and criminals. He even appointed known lawless elements as Local Government Council Caretaker Chairmen in the past.

“Bayelsa people have come to know Dickson and his gang in PDP for what they are, a band of tricksters devoid of ideas and integrity. If not, why would a serious politician spend all his energy calling out and singing the name of an opponent at a campaign launch when the electorate are eager to hear and see what the one seeking their vote has in stock for them. As always, this demonstrates the emptiness of Dickson and his gang.”