A political pressure group, the Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum, has urged Governor Douye Diri to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

The group’s convener, Mr Wisdom Ikuli, made the appeal on Tuesday in Yenagoa, urging stakeholders to support the move to realign Bayelsa with the federal government.

Mr Ikuli, who is also the governor’s technical adviser on print media, stated that CBSF was non-partisan and included members from various political backgrounds, including non-indigenes.

He said Bayelsa must urgently align with the APC, as many PDP figures allegedly conspired to deny Bayelsa and the Ijaws the presidency in 2015.

He alleged there were plans to exploit the PDP’s internal crises and litigations to invalidate candidates who emerge from the party ahead of future elections.

Mr Ikuli stressed that Bayelsa remains the only PDP state in the South-South, now controlled by a few individuals who pose electoral risks for the 2027 elections.

He revealed that the CBSF would soon begin daily street rallies in Yenagoa to urge Diri to consider defection to the ruling APC.

Mr Ikuli insisted that the governor’s defection is in Bayelsa’s best interest and should be considered non-negotiable and sacrosanct.

He recalled that Ijaw leaders, such as Dappa-Biriye and Melford Okilo, advised alignment with the centre for development due to the region’s remoteness.

Mr Ikuli said that past alignment with PDP, while it ruled nationally, enabled Bayelsa to produce a vice-president and a president in Goodluck Jonathan.

He lamented that Ijaws are now excluded from top federal roles, including the presidency, vice-presidency, and service chiefs, weakening their political relevance.

“In spite of their population and contribution, Ijaws remain marginalised due to lack of alignment with the ruling party,” Mr Ikuli added.

He argued that the Ijaws, which contribute over 65 per cent of Nigeria’s oil wealth, have become powerless because they are not aligned with the federal government.

Mr Ikuli explained that Nigeria’s North-South power rotation system indicates that the South must complete its eight-year term under President Bola Tinubu’s current administration.

He noted that Mr Tinubu is committed to strengthening the South and has appointed several Ijaw sons and daughters into key positions.

The Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday, screened aspirants for the Edo Central Senatorial District and Ovia Federal Constituency by-elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had announced August 16, 2025, as the date for the by-elections to fill the two legislative seats at the National Assembly.

The Senate seat was vacated by the incumbent governor, Monday Okpebholo, after he won the September 21, 2024 governorship election.

Also, the Ovia Federal Constituency seat was vacated by the deputy governor, Dennis Idahosa, after the electoral victory.

Members of the screening committee appointed by the National Working Committee of the PDP include Prof. Okumoko Tubo Pearce as Chairman and Arc Chinomso Odoemelan as Secretary.

Other members include Inemo Dede, Evelyn Promise and David Omare.

Aspirants for the Edo Central Senatorial District by-election include John Yakubu, Friday Itulah, Joseph Okojie, and Festus Edogun.

Johnny Aikpitanyi is the only aspirant screened for the Ovia Federal Constituency House of Representatives seat.

Welcoming the aspirants and screening committee members to the party’s secretariat in Benin City, the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, said he was confident that the process would be fair and credible and the party would emerge victorious in the polls scheduled later for August.

He urged PDP members and Edo people to disregard the gimmicks and theatrics of some people who he said are posing as PDP Caretaker Committee members in Edo State, noting, “The national headquarters of the PDP is the body statutorily mandated to conduct congresses and primaries for selecting candidates for the party.

“The PDP national has sent a five-man team from Abuja to conduct the screening of aspirants for the Edo Central Senatorial District and Ovia Federal Constituency by-elections.

“We just had a meeting with them at the conference room of our party secretariat and we believe that this goes to show to our party members and indeed Edo people that we are the duly recognised Caretaker Committee handling the affairs of the PDP in Edo State. Even the man that bought his form in Abuja is here with us for the screening.”

Aziegbemi added, “That will tell you that this secretariat situated at No. 20, Aiguobasimwin Street, GRA, Benin City, is the authentic and only secretariat of the PDP in Edo State.

“It is why you are seeing the team sent by the PDP national in Abuja here and not anywhere else. This puts to rest the doubts anybody would have about the authentic Caretaker Committee in Edo State.”

Speaking after his screening, Festus Edogun, who was pleased with the transparent and credible screening process, said he was confident of clinching the party’s ticket and emerging victorious at the poll.

He said, “I know my people and my people know me. I am a rallying point for my Edo Central people and I am confident that I will get the party ticket and come out victorious in the poll because I have the love and support of my people.”

John Yakubu also commended the Screening Committee for conducting a fair and transparent process.

He noted that Edo Central remains a traditional stronghold of the PDP, adding that the forthcoming by-election presents a valuable opportunity for the party to reclaim the senatorial district.

On his part, Joe Okojie who expressed confidence that the party will emerge victorious in the polls, said the committee was very professional and diligent in discharging their duties.

Johnny Aikpitanyi who is the sole aspirant for Ovia Federal Constituency stated that the process was seamless, adding that he was confident to win the polls.

Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has dared the Senator representing the Territory, Ms Ireti Kingibe to go to the satellite towns and campaign against his service in the President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet if indeed, she was sure of her political credentials.

Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT minister, Lere Olayinka in a statement on Tuesday said Ms Kingibe was already blinded by the spirit of her impending electoral woe, and can never see the positive transformation going on in Abuja and the FCT satellite towns.

The Senator had on a television programme on Monday night said that President Tinubu’s biggest mistake was making Wike Minister of FCT.

However, Olayinka said “it is funny that someone who is impersonating by using the name of Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, who is no longer her husband, believes that jumping from one television station to the other to disparage the FCT Minister will revive her dead political career.”

He therefore “challenged Ireti to go to communities like Saburi, Dei Dei, Kabusa, Ketti, Yangoji, Pai, Gomani, Gishiri, Kwaita, Yebu, Yangoji, Sukuku, Ebo, Ushafa and others that now have good roads, to mount the rostrum and tell the people that President Tinubu made a mistake by appointing Wike as FCT Minister”.

“Most importantly, she can also visit traders in the Apo Mechanic Village, whose dream of being relocated to a permanent site is being fulfilled more than 15 years after, as well as those residing along Apo-Wasa road, and tell them it was a mistake that Wike was appointment as FCT Minister.

In Abaji, Federal Capital Territory University, Abaji (FCTU), a university established close to 15 years ago, but was abandoned, is now witnessing a massive infrastructural development.

“Also, general renovation of 22 schools have been done in the last 12 months while renovation of more than 40 others is ongoing.

“As expected of someone already blinded by the spirit of a coming defeat, Ireti, alias Kingibe won’t see all these. Reason is, she knows that in 2027, she won’t be able to retain the Senate seat she accidentally got in 2023. She knows that the factor that got her to the Senate is no longer available and she is desperate to use attacks on Wike to gain political leverage.

“Unfortunately, Wike is not in the comity of frustrated politicians like Ireti ‘Kingibe’ who is treating her aides like slaves, refusing to pay their wages and entitlements for months,” Olayinka said.

While counseling Ireti to get real, Olayinka said, “at 71, a woman should have a clear identity, use her legitimate names, and stop using the name of a man she is no longer married to.”