PDP kicks as Ebebi, others join APC

Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

 

A FORMER Deputy Governor in Bayelsa State and a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ebebi Peremobowei, has resigned his membership of the party ahead of the November 16 governorship poll.

Ebebi, who was also a Speaker of the House of Assembly, sent his resignation letter dated October 11, 2019 to the party’s Chairman in Ward 3 Alaebiri, Ekeremor Local Government.

Ebebi’s abandonment of the PDP was described by party stakeholders as a big blow to the party, especially as it came at a time he was appointed and listed as a PDP coordinator, West, in the party’s campaign council.

Besides, it was gathered that Governor Seriake Dickson was recently in a warm embrace with Ebebi, who assured him that his initial rumoured defection was false.

However, Ebebi in the letter said he decided to leave the party after experiencing and enduring an excruciating period of a largely fraudulent internal democracy in the state chapter of the PDP.

He said: “I have come to this hard decision after experiencing an enduring and excruciating period of a largely fraudulent internal democracy in the state chapter of the PDP, disregard and disrespect for due process as entrenched in the PDP constitution and electoral guidelines, high-handedness and desperation of the party’s leadership.

“The fact that my membership of the party is ending does not diminish the great political experience I have enjoyed. It has been absolutely outstanding.

“I am thankful for the opportunity given me to serve the state in various capacities, especially as a two-time Speaker of the House of Assembly and two-time Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, which offered me outstanding political career development and enabled me to gain irreplaceable experience in politics.”

Also other appointees of the Seriake Dickson-led Bayelsa State Government have left their jobs in the ongoing realignments ahead of the election.

The state’s Director, Ethics and Compliance, Due Process Bureau, Benjamin Ogbara and Dickson’s Special Adviser on Culture, Chief Natus Zebakame, tendered their resignation letters last Thursday.

Read Also: Bayelsa/Kogi polls: PDP moves to appease Jonathan, Idris

Others are Special Adviser on Agriculture, Godspower Ake; serving Commissioner 1 in the Bayelsa State Local Government Service Commission, Berry Negerese; the Special Assistant on Student Affairs, Iniruo Ipogi and Special Adviser on ICT Development, Clever Ebede among others.

Zebakame in his letter thanked the governor for giving him the privilege to serve the government and people of the state.

He said: “This is, therefore, a formal notification to the government and the people of Bayelsa State as the decision to resign my appointment is entirely personal”.

Ogbara said he took the decision to resign to enable him go back to his private legal practice.

He thanked the governor, who found him worthy of the appointment and expressed his best wishes to the people of the state.