By Idris Ibrahim
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied that a former legislative aide alongside scores of its members reportedly defected from APC to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Bayelsa State.
The party alleged that Ebinabo Jumbo, a former aide to the immediate past House of Assembly Member representing Nembe Constituency 3 who is still an active member of the PDP was never a member of APC.
This was made known in a statement signed by Godsent Joseph, Chairman, APC Mini Ward 11 Nembe Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
“It has come to my knowledge as the chairman of APC in Mini Ward 11, of Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, that one Mr. Ebinabo Jumbo of Agrisaba has defected from the APC to PDP with scores of supporters from Agrisaba.”
“Ordinarily I will not have responded to his purported defection from my party to PDP but to get the record straight the said Mr. Ebinabo Jumbo has never in any time been a member of my party. He sometimes in January, 2020, approached me that he wants to defect to APC and I was making arrangements to receive him, when the Supreme Court annulled our Governorship victory and he reneged from his planned defection. It is so shameful that the achievements of the prosperity government is to celebrate who ever comes to them for defection in the name of APC,” the statement revealed.
The chairman according to the statement, further revealed that Mr. Jumbo was never a card bearing member of APC under his watch as a chairman since 2014 till date.
“I challenge Mr. Ebinabo Jumbo to make the unit he is registered as a member of APC in Agrisaba public for clarification. I have been the Chairman of APC in Mini Ward 11 Nembe Local Government Area where Agrisaba is the Head Quarters since 2014 till date and in no time Ebinabo Jumbo has been a member of APC under my watch.”
“The Ebinabo Jumbo I know was an aide to the immediate past House of Assembly Member representing Nembe Constituency 3 who up till date is a member of the PDP. He was a unit agent to the PDP during the 2019 governorship election so I wonder when he became a member of APC to defect to PDP,” the statement noted.
However, the statement further revealed that only four of it members from Agrisaba community defected to the opposition party and was received by the governor.
“It is unfortunate that Governor Douye Diri has reduced governance to the lowest level where state Governor will receive in audience former legislative aide who purports to defect from opposition party, when there are serious issues seeking for attention from the Government such as the worsening security situation in the state and the lack of portable water and electricity. The Governor’s reception of the so called defectors only justifies the (huge) overhead voted to the office of SA Political to induce opposition members at the detriment of critical ministries like Youths, Sport, Water Resources, Power and Education,” the statement noted.