Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa
The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, on Wednesday received a fresh set of decampees from the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) from Southern Ijaw LGA, who have elected to join the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Receiving the former APC faithfuls at his Office in Government House, Yenagoa, Senator Ewhrudjakpo lauded them for their courage to move over to the PDP where they had originally belonged to before they left and pitched tent with the opposition.
According to the Deputy Governor, the PDP family in Bayelsa was delighted to receive the defectors into its fold, noting that the relevant structures of the party would integrate them fully and recognize them as full-blown bona fide members of the PDP.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo assured the returning PDP faithfuls that they have full rights like anyone else in the party, stressed that they would not be treated as new members nor discriminated against for coming back to their original political home.
While encouraging others who are still wallowing in deception and fake promises made by the opposition to cross over to the PDP, he stressed that the party’s umbrella was large enough to accommodate everyone.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo promised the group that a formal ceremony would be organized to welcome them back fully, where the leader of the party in the state, Governor Douye Diri, and the members of State Working Committee would all be present.
His words: “You were part of us, and as long as you were away, we were not complete. And now that you are back with us, it is now that part of us that was missing has been recovered, and so, we are now complete.
“You are part of the PDP family. We felt your absence when you left us because you are veterans. We will not treat you as new comers in the party. You are returning to your original political home and nobody would discriminate against you.
“Be rest assured that you would fully be integrated into the party by its relevant structures. Governor, Senator Douye Diri, will receive you formally in a bigger ceremony where all the members of the state working committee would be present.”
Presenting the former APC members who now go by the name “Addicted To Diri/Law”, the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Federal Projects, Hon. Basil Kenbo, said the group who were staunch members of the APC in Southern Ijaw LGA had decided to officially join the PDP and work for the party in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Hon. Basil Kenbo pointed out that their decision to decamp from the APC to join the PDP was informed by the maturity and open-mindedness being displayed by Governor Douye Diri in governing the state and the various infrastructural projects his administration had embarked on.
In their separate remarks, the leaders of the decampees, Mr. Cockman Kurobo, Mr. Helix Amakiri and Mr. Kuro Orubie, thanked the Deputy Governor for receiving them and their followers with open arms into the party and government.
According to them, they were fed up with the leaders of the opposition party in the state who had always used them at every election and dumped them once the elections were over, hence their resolve to part ways with the APC for good.
While appreciating the Prosperity Administration for always building bridges of unity across political party lines and for the ongoing road project to Oporoma, they assured the Governor and his Deputy of their preparedness to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure victory for the PDP in the November 11 state governorship election.
