I Won’t Force My Deputy To Join APC – Diri

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said he will not compel his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to join him in the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he formally joined on November 3.
Diri resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15, but his deputy did not accompany him in defecting to the APC.

Speaking during the weekly state executive council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, on Wednesday, with Ewhrudjakpo also present, the Bayelsa governor said as a matter of principle, he believes in engagement rather than confrontation and that he will continue to discuss with his deputy.
While admitting that it is difficult for both of them to be in different political parties, Diri expressed the optimism that ongoing engagements with his deputy would yield positive results.

He disclosed that the case filed by Ewhrudjakpo at a Federal High Court in Abuja to halt a purported impeachment plan had been discontinued after they discussed it.

He urged people of the state to love one another and see politics as a means to bring development and not to pull others down.

His words: “I express our gratitude to the people of our state for the successful and well attended thanksgiving day service. The spirit of oneness and love is what we should keep exhibiting.

“I like to also thank the people for the mammoth crowd at the sports complex during our defection. I appreciate the leader of our party, President Bola Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima. I pledge our loyalty to continue to work for a better Nigeria, for the upliftment of the standard of living of our people.

“Let me address an issue that had been a subject of speculation in the media. I do not intend to force people to join the APC but rather to appeal to them to see reason with me. I might have the power today but not tomorrow.

“It is actually 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 the state and not to fight one another.”

On the rumour of the arrival in the state of armed men from a part of the country, Diri dispelled it as fake news.

He however assured that security agencies have been put on notice to check any threat in any part of the state.

He reaffirmed Bayelsa as one of the most secured states in the country and urged the people to go about their businesses and report security issues to the relevant agencies rather than rushing to post falsehoods on social media.