Douye Diri, the governor of Bayelsa State, has declared that he will not force his deputy Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo to join him in defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Diri, who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15 and formally joined the APC on November 3, stated that he favors communication and understanding over political pressure.
Speaking on Wednesday during the State Executive Council meeting at Government House in Yenagoa, Diri responded to persistent rumors in the media regarding his deputy’s political views.
“Let me address an issue that has been a topic of speculation in the media,” he remarked. Instead of pressuring people to join the APC, my goal is to persuade them to see my point of view. Today, I might be in charge, but tomorrow, maybe not.
He continued by saying that while it is still difficult for a governor and his deputy to be from different political parties, talks between him and Ewhrudjakpo were continuing and producing fruitful outcomes.
Being on one side while the deputy is on the other is really challenging for the governor. But we’ll keep talking, and tomorrow we might wind up at the same party,” he remarked.
Withdrawn from Court Following the reconciliation, Governor Diri also verified that Ewhrudjakpo had dropped the lawsuit he had filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja to prevent the Bayelsa State House of Assembly from impeaching him for refusing to defect.
The governor claims that the two leaders’ mutual understanding and private talks led to the resolution.
He emphasized that his administration puts peace and stability ahead of political unrest.
“We shouldn’t agitate the political system. In Bayelsa State, violence is over. We are both brothers and one. He said, “Politics should be used for the advancement of the state, not for personal conflict.
Diri called the allegations of armed individuals entering the state “fake news” and advised locals to maintain their composure.
He gave assurances that security services had been informed and were prepared to deal with any real threats.
Bayelsa continues to be among the nation’s safest states. Instead of disseminating lies on social media, our people ought to disclose security concerns to the appropriate authorities, he suggested.
Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, the Commissioner for Health, gave Diri an award from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum honoring Bayelsa as the “Best State in Health Insurance Service Delivery” during the executive meeting.
Similarly, the governor received a “Distinguished Governor Award for Outstanding Support to SWAN and Contribution to Sports Development in Nigeria” from the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria from Dr. Daniel Igali, Commissioner for Sports.
