A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Yekini Nabena, has said that Bayelsa State governor. Douye Diri, was not bringing any value addition to the ruling party save for scheming to distabilise the existing APC leadership in the state.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, the Bayelsa APC chieftain maintained that Diri will join APC empty-handed because the political bigwigs in the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were not defecting with him when compared to what recently happened in Delta and Enugu States.
According to Nabena, Governor Diri is scheduled to formally defect to APC on Monday, hence he wanted to destroy the existing leadership of the party before jumping the ship.
He alleged that the governor was behind the rumoured arrest of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, in connection with an alleged coup plot, asking Nigerians to disregard the fake news.
A section of the media reported that Ogbuku was arrested by military intelligence operatives over allegations linking him to the financing of an attempted coup, which had been dismissed by the military high commnad.
Nabena said: “Let me put it on record that we are not saying the governor should not join the APC, it is a democracy and he has the right to join any party. The fact we will not take is for him to destroy some people and the existing leadership of the APC in Bayelsa State because he wants to take full control of the party.
“We have traced the recent happenings in Bayelsa State to Governor Douye Diri’s camp, especially the arrest rumours of NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku (PhD).
“The plan is to destroy the existing organs and prominent members of the party before he (Governor Diri) formally decamp to APC on Monday.
“But up till now, we have not found an answer to the question of what Governor Douye Diri is bringing to the APC. This is a governor that his deputy is not defecting with him, hence he is plotting to impeach the deputy governor.
“This is a governor that even some State House of Assembly members have rejected. About 90 per cent of the serving National Assembly members, including Senator Dickson and other high profile lawmakers, are not on the same page with him.
“This is a governor who is not in control of his local constituency not to talk of his entire Senatorial District. We ask Governor Douye Diri again to tell Nigerians who is running after him or what is he running after?”
Nabena claimed that so many prominent politicians in Bayelsa State chapter of the PDP were comfortable with the leadership of Ogbuku and will only join President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ Agenda through the NDDC boss at the right time.
