Governor Douye Diri says he will not compel his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to join him in the All Progressives Congress.

The governor made the assertion during the weekly state executive council meeting in the Government House, Yenagoa, on Wednesday, with Mr Ewhrudjakpo also present.

“As a matter of principle, I believe in engagement rather than confrontation. I will continue to discuss with my deputy,” said Mr Diri.

Mr Diri formally joined the APC on November 3, without his deputy, fuelling speculation that Mr Ewhrudjakpo has been penciled in for impeachment by the majority of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, who followed Diri to the APC.

The deputy governor subsequently approached the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, to restrain the Bayelsa parliament from the plot to impeach him for remaining in the Peoples Democratic Party.

Mr Diri resigned from the PDP on October 15, but his deputy did not join him in the new party.

While acknowledging that it is challenging for both of them to be in different political parties, Mr Diri expressed optimism that ongoing engagements with his deputy would yield positive results.

He disclosed that the lawsuit filed by Mr Ewhrudjakpo to halt a purported impeachment plan had been discontinued after they discussed it.

“I express our gratitude to the people of our state for the successful and well-attended Thanksgiving Day service. The spirit of oneness and love is what we should keep exhibiting. I would also like to thank the people for the mammoth crowd at the sports complex during our defection.

“I appreciate the leader of our party, President Bola Tinubu, and Vice-President Kashim Shettima. I pledge our loyalty to continue to work for a better Nigeria, for the upliftment of the standard of living of our people,” said the Bayelsa governor.

Mr Diri added, “Let me address an issue that had been a subject of speculation in the media. I do not intend to force people to join the APC but rather to appeal to them to see reason with me. I might have the power today but not tomorrow. It is actually difficult for the governor to be on one side and the deputy on another. But we will continue to talk and we might end up in the same party tomorrow.

“We must not heat up the polity. We are done with violence in Bayelsa state. We are brothers and we are one. Politics should be for the development of the state and not to fight one another.” 

(NAN)