PDP defectors are greedy – Dickson

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has lambasted some members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party that have defected to the All Progressives Congress, saying their actions are motivated by greed.

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson

The governor also criticised some defectors and a body known as the Bayelsa Peoples Consultative Assembly that accused his administration of high-handedness, a statement by his media aide, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said on Sunday.

Gale of defections has hit the PDP with Saturday’s cross-carpet of Dickson’s former Chief of Staff, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, and some leaders of the PDP.

Ikiogha had told a crowd that thronged the Kpansia open field of his formal declaration for the APC and that the PDP lacked internal democracy and that it is a party full of betrayals and deceits.

BPCA had recently expressed dissatisfaction with Dickson over alleged high-handedness in running affairs of the state.

The group had wondered whether the strategic interest of Bayelsa State could still be served through the PDP in the race towards development.

But the Governor said the accusations were misplaced, noting that they were only disguised reasons to justify the actions of the body which, he said, was more motivated by greed.

He said, “As a democrat, I believe that the proponents of the BCPA have the inalienable right to association, but also conscious of the moral baggage of such tendency and indeed the motive.

“What is their objective in politics? Obviously this is an opportunistic lobby group, desperately in search of power without any modicum of integrity. They should be reminded that contrary to their assertions, they actually constitute the problem of development in the state and not Governor Seriake Dickson.

“What is playing out is an offshoot of my long running battle with this class of politicians on the proper utilisation of state resources to serve the people and never to serve the greed of the few.

“Their selfish conception of politics and attitude in government are what had retarded development in the state since the era of the late statesman, Chief Melford Okilo.

He said the decision by members of the body to join the APC would not make any difference in the electoral fortune of the PDP in the forthcoming elections.

He added that the people of the state would vote en masse for his reelection in appreciation of his performance in office.

PDP defectors are greedy – Dickson