Majority of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Assembly in Bayelsa State have endorsed the decision of Governor Douye Diri to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Presently, there are 19 members of the PDP in the 24-man state legislature, while the opposition has five members.
Sources disclosed to our correspondent that as part of his consultations with stakeholders towards his defection plans, Gov. Diri had told the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abraham Ngobere, to sample the opinion of his colleagues.
Gov. Diri’s earlier consultation with the National Assembly caucus from the state was not too fruitful, as the House of Representatives caucus was said to have rejected the move.
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Sources said Rep. Fred Agbedi (Sagbama/ Ekeremor) is spearheading the rejection move because the governor’s defection to APC would mean him (Agbedi) being subjected to the political leadership of the Minister of State for Oil, Heineken Lokpobiri.
The dissenting voices from the National Assembly notwithstanding, Gov. Diri, who travelled with Ngobere to France recently, mandated the speaker to get the views about his defection from his colleagues.
Sources disclosed that at the meeting convened by Ngobere at his residence to discuss Gov. Diri’s defection to the APC, the majority of the legislators endorsed the defection move, arguing that it was in the best interest of the state.
According to some of them who spoke, the PDP is in crisis, and it can no longer guarantee their political future.
However, three of the 19 legislators were said to have rejected the move, arguing that it was not the right time.
Two of those who rejected the move were said to be from Sagbama Local Government, while the third lawmaker is from Kolokuma/ Opokuma.
A member of the state House of Assembly, confirmed that the meeting took place and also confirmed that the majority of them have endorsed the decision of the governor to defect to the APC.
“Yes, the speaker has called us and we have met. The truth is that we are moving,” the legislato said.