A former Alternate Director of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council in Bayelsa State, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe and the ex-chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area, Dr. Ebikitin Diongoli have led hundreds of their supporters to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The APC chieftains were on Monday evening welcomed into the PDP by Governor Douye Diri, and other stakeholders of the PDP at the Government House in Yenagoa.
The Bayelsa governor described their return as the right thing to do given their long-standing affiliation with the party before they left.
Governor Diri also described the returnees as people with immense electoral value and expressed optimism that they will contribute positively to the development of the party and the state.
He noted that the PDP in Bayelsa was gradually moving back to the days when a victory in the party’s primary election was as good as a victory in the main election and urged party members to remain steadfast.
The state’s helmsman called on those remaining in the opposition to retrace their steps, saying the PDP made virtually all politicians in the state and was still large enough to accommodate those desirous of coming back.
His words: “On behalf of your government and party, I join the Deputy Chairman of our party to welcome you back to where you rightly belong. I thank you for making up your mind. It would have been a mistake if you did not return.
“Let me also thank all those that facilitated this. I kept receiving the reports and prayed that God makes it happen. This is indeed a divine arrangement.
“We welcome you back and on behalf of your party, all your rights are restored. Very soon we will receive you and all your followers.
“We want to go back to the old PDP where you win the party’s ticket and it feels like you have already won the election. We call on all those that left and are in the opposition to come back.
Earlier, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe said returning to the PDP was like coming back home and that he felt like a stranger in the APC.
He lauded Governor Diri for his inclusive leadership style, which also puts the interest of the state ahead of any personal or sectional considerations.
