THISDAY

Bayelsa: Defected PDP Chietains, Greedy, Selfish, Says Dickson

- In Abuja

Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, yesterday, criticised some leaders of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who defected last Saturday, describing them as greedy and selfish politician­s.

Dickson who spoke in Abuja on the sideline of the National Security Summit 2015 organised by the Nigeria Police Force, said the defectors did so only for selfish reasons.

Former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Nditimi Alaibe, PDP chairman in the state, Col. Sam Inokoba, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and others had last Saturday defected to the All Progressiv­es Congress (APC)

But Dickson while noting that it was their right to decamp, said for the records, it was important that the public knew that they decamped to the APC because each of them wants to be governor and the PDP platform is not available.

“So, they are going to the next alternativ­e and which in the case of the APC, is the party that has control of the center and by so doing, positionin­g themselves for federal appointmen­ts, which the PDP and I are not in a position to give to them.

“And they are hoping somehow that federal might, by way of security and the Independen­t National Electoral Commission (INEC) manipulati­on, will see their eventual flagbearer into the government house, which is not going to be the case,” Dickson said.

While expressing optimism on winning the election in the state, Dickson said his people are of the view that his administra­tion has done well and on the election day, will troop out en mass to vote for him and the PDP.

“I am sure. That is a PDP state and I have done well. It is not me saying it, it is the people of Bayelsa that are saying it. And they know them. So, let’s wait to see who their flagbearer will be against me.

“We know the antecedent­s of each and everyone of them and we are confident that the people are not with them.”

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