Bayelsa APC chieftain, supporters defect to PDP
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gabriel Claudius, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alongside his supporters in Elebele, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
The defectors were formally received on Monday at a ceremony attended by PDP leaders at the local and state levels in Ogbia.
Ogbia PDP chairman, Ofoni Morgan, described the party as the political home of the people of the area.
He said the PDP remains the party that produced Nigeria’s first president from the Ijaw ethnic nationality, insisting that the party continues to enjoy widespread support in the area.
Mr Morgan described Mr Claudius as a grassroots politician whose return would strengthen the PDP in Elebele and across Ogbia Local Government Area.
The PDP state chairman, George Turnah, welcomed the defectors before presenting them to the party leadership at the state level.
Mr Turnah called on the Bayelsa State government to do more to tackle the challenges of poverty, unemployment and economic hardship, claiming that the administration was not doing enough to address the needs of the people.
He alleged that despite the increased federal allocations, many youths and women remained economically disadvantaged.
According to him, Elebele has a vibrant youth population that deserves greater political inclusion and participation in governance.
The PDP leader in Bayelsa, Joshua Maciver, described the defection as a homecoming, saying the party was pleased to receive Claudius and his supporters.
Mr Maciver said the PDP remained determined to reclaim elective positions in future elections, including Senate, House of Representatives and Bayelsa State House of Assembly seats.
He dismissed insinuations that the party would be weakened by recent political realignments, insisting it remained focused on victory.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Mr Claudius said the PDP was restructuring and repositioning ahead of future elections.
He expressed confidence that the party would emerge stronger and more competitive in the next electoral cycle.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
States
Police foil bandit attack in Sokoto
“The command is pleased to report that no casualties were recorded on the side of the joint security teams or among the villagers during the encounter,” he said.
World
Paramount agrees to freeze Warner Bros. merger following lawsuit by 12 U.S. states
Paramount Skydance agreed to pause the proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery while the case proceeds.
Sport
Pirlo loses Italy coach job over link to Russian betting firm
Pirlo confirmed that his proposed appointment as Italy head coach has been called off over his role as a global ambassador for Russian bookmaker Fonbet.
NationWide
Experts seek stronger doctor-veterinarian partnership against rabies
The experts said enhanced collaboration would strengthen information sharing between human and animal health sectors, enabling early detection, treatment and reduced fatalities.
States
Supreme Court upholds death sentence of man convicted of murder
The Supreme Court held that Mr Umar’s appeal lacked merit.
States
Zamfara chief judge seeks increase in judiciary funding
She said funding remains a critical element for the success of the judiciary.
