Olayiwola Matthew
The majority of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly have endorsed the decision of Governor Douye Diri to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Presently, there are 19 members of the PDP in the 24-man legislature while the opposition has five members.
Sources disclosed to Sunday Sun that as part of his consultation with stakeholders towards his defection plans, Diri had told the Speaker Rt Hon Abraham Ngobere, to sample the opinion of his colleagues.
Diri’s earlier consultation with the National Assembly caucus was not too fruitful, as the House caucus rejected the move.
Sources said Hon Fred Agbedi (Sagbama/ Ekeremor) is spearheading the rejection because the defection to APC would mean him (Agbedi) being subjected to the political leadership of the Minister of State for Oil, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.
The dissenting voices from the National Assembly notwithstanding, Diri, who travelled with Ngobere to France recently, mandated the Speaker to get the views about his defection from his colleagues.
Sources told Sunday Sun that at the meeting convened recently by Ngobere at his residence to discuss the defection to the APC, the majority of the lawmakers endorsed the defection, arguing that it was in the best interest of the state and timely too.
According to some of them who spoke, the PDP is in crisis, and it can no longer guarantee their political future.
However, three of the 19 lawmakers were said to have rejected the move, arguing that it was not the right time.
Two of those who rejected the move were said to be from Sagbama Local Government, while the third lawmaker is from Kolokuma/ Opokuma.
A member of the House confirmed that the meeting took place and also confirmed that the majority of them have endorsed the decision of the governor to defect to the APC.
“Yes, the Speaker has called us and we have met. The truth is that we are moving,” he said.