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Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State, some political associates and kinsmen of former President Goodluck Jonathan have dumped the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) for the All Progressives Congress(APC).
Some of the notable names amongst the defectors are Robert Enogha and Claudius Enegesi.
Enogha, who was until his defection the Chairman of Bayelsa Environmental Sanitation Authority, cited what he described as “dictatorial tendencies” in the party as the reason for his decision to leave PDP.
He said: “I write to formally inform you of my withdrawal of membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). I am doing this with so much pain as a founding member of the party which was truly democratic as at then.
“I must acknowledge the immense benefit and experience I have gathered over the years through service as a loyal and faithful member. However I have lost confidence in the party’s ability to accept where the opinion of majority counts, hence my resignation.”
Enogha is also a former Commissioner for Environment, a former two-time member of the State House of Assembly and one of the restoration leaders in Ogbia local government area.
Claudius Enegesi, is one of the political associates of Jonathan and he was the Speaker in the old Rivers State when Ada George was the governor.
Enegesi was the pioneer Chairman of the PDP in the state in 1998, a former national executive member of the party and a former caucus chairman of PDP in Ogbia local government.
Also, in Nembe Local Government, Chief Bright Erewari-Igbeta, a former House of Assembly member and the immediate past Special Adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson on Environment resigned his appointment from the government and from the party.
In the same council, Chief James Jephthah(Octopus) after a series of meeting with leaders and supporters of PDP under the Octopus Umbrella said he and his political associates had decided to withdraw their membership from the party citing high handedness and “one man taking decision for the party” as their reason for leaving.
Chief Beimo Spiff, the PDP governorship campaign Coordinator for Brass local government area and brother to Sen. Inatimi Rufus Spiff, Chairman of the PDP reconciliation committee, dumped the party for the APC.
Beimo Spiff in his resignation letter addressed to the party Chairman in the state, said he was resigning from the party due to some “despicable injustices in the party.”
Spiff and his supporters have been received into the APC fold by the party’s Secretary, Alabo Martins.