The gale of defections sweeping across the country has hit the Bayelsa State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as some members have dumped the umbrella party and pitched tent with the All Progressive Congress.
Bayelsa is the home state of outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan.
Prominent among the defectors are the member of the State House of Assembly representing Yenagoa Constituency, Alfred Egba; his associates, Sonme Ogilogi and a former commissioner in the State Independent Electoral Commission, Tom Egba.
Mr. Egba, a close ally of former Governor Timipre Sylva, said Friday, he decided to dump the PDP because the party no longer gave him the needed covering and was embroiled in leadership crisis at the state level.
“The PDP is clouded in series of controversies with parallel structures of leadership. The Party is surrounded by the emergence of a factional chairman of the party, while another person still claims to be in charge of the party leadership in the state.
“The PDP has been hijacked and there were many occasions when I was never aware of developments in my constituency and the PDP in the state.
“I have consulted with stakeholders and also sought the face of God before deciding to quit the party”, he said.
It was learnt that the defectors’ decision to leave PDP for APC was informed by the new political profile of former Governor Sylva, who presently co-chairs the Presidential Transition Planning Committee coupled with the rising disenchantment of members of the PDP over the high-handed leadership style of the State Governor, Seriake Dickson.
The realignment ongoing in the camp of Mr. Sylva might not be unconnected with the battle to unseat the PDP in Bayelsa during the Governorship election slated for 2016.
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