Former President Jonathan’s strong ally Diekivie Ikiogha, defects to APC

A very close ally to Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Diekivie Ikiogha, has defected from the PDP for the APC in Bayelsa State. Ikiogha, who was a founding member of the PDP, crossed over to the APC at an elaborate ceremony held on Saturday at the Kpansia open field, Yenagoa, the state capital.

He defected with some other members of the former ruling party.

Prominent members of the PDP that defected with him are Mr. Victor Awala, Mr. Paul Ajuwa, Mrs. D. Irene, Mr. Prince Abeki, a former commissioner, as well as over 150 former councillors from 1999 to 2012.

No fewer than 43 non-governmental organisations, under the aegis New Bayelsa Initiative, also left with Ikiogha, whom they described as a great grass-roots mobiliser.

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Ikiogha, a former Bayelsa State Chief of Staff, said to be a trusted and dependable ally of Governor Seriake Dickson, is one of the brains behind the emergence of Dickson as governor in 2012.

But indications of a frosty relationship between Dickson and Ikiogha emerged when the former removed him from office in controversial circumstances and redeployed him to the state’s Abuja Liaison Office.

Ikiogha resigned his appointment in October 2014 to contest the House of Representatives ticket for the Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency but did not win.

Addressing the crowd that witnessed his formal movement to the APC, Ikiogha said:

“There is lack of internal democracy and it is a party where the highest bidders always have their way.”

The National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, who was represented by the National Vice-Chairman, South-South, Mr. Hilliard Eta, performed the formal reception as he presented a broom, which is the symbol of the APC, to Ikiogha.

Punch