Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said he will not compel his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to join him in his new party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he formally joined on November 3.
Recall that Governor Diri resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15, citing obvious reasons for his decision, but his deputy did not follow him to the new party.
Speaking during the weekly State Executive Council (SEC) meeting at the Government House, Yenagoa, on Wednesday, with Ewhrudjakpo also present, the Bayelsa governor said that as a matter of principle, he believed in engagement rather than confrontation and would continue to hold discussions with his deputy.
While admitting that it was difficult for both of them to belong to different political parties, Diri expressed optimism that ongoing engagements with his deputy would yield positive results.
He disclosed that the case filed by Ewhrudjakpo at the Federal High Court in Abuja to halt a purported impeachment plan had been discontinued after discussions between them.
Diri urged the people of the state to love one another and see politics as a means of promoting development rather than pulling others down.
“I express our gratitude to the people of our state for the successful and well-attended Thanksgiving Day Service. The spirit of oneness and love is what we should continue to exhibit.
“I also thank the people for the mammoth crowd at the Sports Complex during our defection. I appreciate the leader of our party, President Bola Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima. I pledge our loyalty to continue working for a better Nigeria and for the upliftment of the standard of living of our people.
“Let me address an issue that has been a subject of speculation in the media. I do not intend to force people to join the APC but rather appeal to them to see reason with me. I might have the power today, but not tomorrow.
“It is actually difficult for the governor to be on one side and the deputy on another, but we will continue to talk and might end up in the same party tomorrow.
“We must not heat up the polity. We are done with violence in Bayelsa State. We are brothers and we are one. Politics should be for the development of the state and not to fight one another,” Governor Diri said.
On the rumour of the arrival of armed men in the state from another part of the country, Governor Diri dismissed it as fake news.
He, however, assured that security agencies had been placed on alert to check any possible threat in any part of the state.
The governor reaffirmed Bayelsa as one of the most secure states in the country and urged residents to go about their daily activities peacefully while reporting any security concerns to the relevant agencies instead of spreading false information on social media.
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