Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has said he will not compel his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking during the weekly State Executive Council meeting at Government House, Yenagoa, on Wednesday, with Ewhrudjakpo in attendance, Governor Diri said although it is difficult for both of them to belong to different political parties, he remains confident that ongoing engagements with his deputy would yield positive results.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in a statement issued after the meeting, quoted Diri as saying that Ewhrudjakpo had withdrawn a case filed at a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop an alleged impeachment move, following their discussions.
“As a matter of principle, I believe in engagement rather than confrontation. I do not intend to force anyone to join the APC but to appeal to them to see reason with me. I might have the power today, but not tomorrow,” Diri said.
Governor Diri, who resigned from the PDP on October 15 and formally joined the APC on November 3, urged political actors in the state to prioritise unity and development over division and hostility.
“It is difficult for the governor to be on one side and the deputy on another. But we will continue to talk, and we might end up in the same party tomorrow. We must not heat up the polity. We are done with violence in Bayelsa State. We are brothers and we are one. Politics should be for the development of our state, not to fight one another,”he said.
The governor also expressed appreciation to the people of Bayelsa for their massive turnout during his defection rally and the state thanksgiving service.
“I appreciate the leader of our party, President Bola Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima. We pledge our loyalty and commitment to work for a better Nigeria and to uplift the standard of living of our people,” he said.
On reports of armed men allegedly arriving in the state from another part of the country, Governor Diri dismissed the claims as fake news, assuring that security agencies had been alerted to forestall any potential threats.
“Bayelsa remains one of the most secure states in Nigeria. Our people should go about their businesses peacefully and report any genuine security concerns to the authorities instead of spreading falsehood on social media,” he said.
