By Abdullahi Mohammed
The former governor of Bayelsa state Mr Timipre Sylva said that there is alot of movement from the PDP to the APC and which he likened to a tsunami that is waiting to happen. He made this assertion Wednesday at the APC secretariat Wuse ll during the consultation visit and formal introduction to the party’s national leaders of some of the former strong PDP stalwarts in Bayelsa state who want to formally defect to APC .The visit was was led by Mr Timipre Sylva and senator John Bam Brifa .
Sylva said that ” you can recall that the party needs to be strengthened especially in the south south region , we are coming from a mission in which our own son was defeated by our great party and of course few people stood in PDP. Now that the storm is over, people have begun to see early and there is alot of movement from the PDP to the APC, I can simply call it tsunami that is waiting to happen.
He added that ” this is the first wave of people, alot of people are still coming to the party. This was just a delegation that was sent to me ..I brought them here to formally introduce them to you for your recognition”.
The former governor noted that ” next week we are hoping to have a rally in Bayelsa to which they will formally defect to APC. We are in Abuja now and I thought you should receive them yourself and know that Bayelsa is the next big thing that will happen in this our great party.
Chief John Oyegun APC national chairman also responded to the remarks .He said ” I want to say clearly that the leadership of APC is very glad and happy that people of your calibre have finally seen through what is going on with PDP governed states in this nation , you have been reading and listening about the federal level ,(how ) our nation that has been decimated in virtually every facet of life particularly the national economy to the extent that it is now a struggle even in the federal government to meet its obligations”.
He affirmed that ” nationally we are on rescue mission.I want to tell those who join us today , that after hibernating with them for so long in Bayelsa state, you have also decided that Bayelsa state also needs rescue mission.I want to say quite clearly that Bayelsa state for obvious reasons is very high in level of importance “.
” You are heartily welcome into the fold of progressive, the APC.Go to APC states and see what transformation actually means. The difference is clear .Now we have 22 states and the delivery that we have managed to achieve in the states that we already have will now be extended to these 22 states.It is my prayer and by the end of this year we will be able to have Bayelsa into the progressive family of the nation. What do we mean by progressive, it means that whatever things you do, you put welfare of the people first ,with what you are doing bring them happiness,satisfaction, hope to their lives and don’t be secretive. Today ,Nigerian populace does not believe in government,politicians, what they say and that has to be reversed in a way that average Nigerian will begin to see the future that will be better than his present, and if he will not benefit from that future he will grow up in a nation that is better than the one that is inflicted on him”.
He added that ” In APC, I can assure you that the National Working Committee will give you all the support that is considered necessary. It will be a historical day , on that great day it will be historical just like the day that we nominated our presidential candidate, a day that will change the destiny of Bayelsa state”.
Briefing the press Sylva said that ” I don’t know whether I will be contesting again that is the honest answer. I am here to make sure APC wins in the governorship election in Bayelsa .That is why I am here and that is my role. APC is going to win. That we are very sure of and there is no division at all in our party. Seriously it is just some miscreants sponsored by the present administration in in Bayelsa state. It is the people who are not members of the party making some noise. The party is intact,every body is intact in the party. There are very inconsequential people and we don’t even want to discuss them”.
Also speaking at the event ,Senator John Bam Brifa with every sense of agitation said ” it is a new dawn,a wake up call for the good people of Bayelsa state, for the past 3 years Bayelsa state can be assumed to have no government at all.We accepted it for this long and some of us thought that enough was enough and we will no longer stand (with) bad government in Bayelsa state and government (which)does not have respect for elders, youths and (who) is Mr know it all, it can never happen in our democracy” he stated.
He added that” all these that happen in Bayelsa can never happen in south western states but because Bayelsans are relative docile,it has come to the point that Bayelsans takes their destiny in their hands. And these group started moving from one local government to the other sensitising the people of the inadequacies that went throughout the 8 local government areas in Bayelsa state coordinating it to inaugural meeting on the 10th June in Yenogoa. The attendance was very impressive” .
” We deliberated finally that enough is enough, we can no longer stand the style of governance in Bayelsa state. And we all unanimously agreed that the only way to surmount this hurdle is the APC. We do not want to declare one after the other or individually. We will rather have a mass rally whereby we will use the biggest venue the sport complex in Bayelsa state where hundred and hundreds of people will be invited to declare for APC. That is why we pleaded to come and see the chairman to come and receive us at the venue of the event at the date that we have agreed on. We use this opportunity to request you to come to Bayelsa to accept us into your fold. Although we may not be members of APC (yet) but we know alot that is happening. We hope that alot has to be done for APC to win Bayelsa state. Don’t forget we have a sitting governor who has every arsenal in his possession. Bayelsa people are very anxious and curious for Bayelsa to be taken over by APC” ,he said.
