Defection of Jonathan’s loyalists to APC, shameless, insignificant – PDP

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The Peoples Democratic Party, Bayelsa State chapter, has described defectors of some ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s loyalists from the party to the All Progressives Congress in the state as shameless and inconsequential.

Recently, stream of defections has hit the PDP in Bayelsa State with those cross-carpeting accusing the party of lacking internal democracy, full of betrayals and deceits.

But at a news briefing on Tuesday at the PDP secretariat in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, spokesman for the party, Osom Makbere, insisted that those that defected only displayed a show of shame, saying they had no electoral value.

Makbere said though the party was not disturbed by recent cases of defection of perceived loyalists of the former President Goodluck Jonathan, the defection was rather unfortunate.

He described them as “fair weather politicians”, who were only taking undue advantage of the loss of the PDP at the centre to reposition themselves as APC members so as to curry favour and attract patronage from the APC leadership.

The party spokesman said those who claimed to have dumped the PDP due to purported lack of proper governance were beneficiaries of the magnanimity of the present administration of Seriake Dickson.

He said, “Dickson appointed them to senior sensitive positions, contract awards and other prerequisites of the system are now turning around to say nothing is happening in the state.

“These fellows, who actually have no electoral value and whose fibre are also spent, are creating the impression that they are moving with supporters.That the scanty number of persons present in the so-called defection rallies and ceremonies clearly show that they are lonely voices in the wilderness, in all their units,wards and constituencies across the state in general.

“It is rather unfortunate that these fair weather politicians are taking undue advantage of the loss of the PDP at the centre to re-position themselves as APC members so as to curry favour and attract patronage from the APC leadership.

“It is most shameful and dis-heartening that these key men of the former President and the PDP who ought to remain faithful in the party in this era of sober reflection as a way of demonstrating their appreciation and eternal gratitude to the party for providing the platform for us (minority of minorities) to produce a President which was rare privilege and honour are now busy jumping ships in passion for greener pastures.”

Makbere said the defectors were conscienceless, untrustworthy, disloyal, unfaithful and treacherous in nature.

He said it was mind-boggling that some of those characters during the last general elections sought to be candidates of the party for elective positions,which by divine providence, they lost out at the primaries,which clearly indicated that the party declined to field them owing to their low esteem.