A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena has alleged that the Bayelsa State governor is plotting to destroy the reputation of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku and other party leaders in the state.
Accusing Diri of fueling the arrest rumour linking Ogbuku to the controversial coup plot against the Bola Tinubu-led government, Nabena said the NDDC MD was never arrested.
He also claimed that there are plans by Diri to destabilise the already existing leadership structure of the APC in Bayelsa with the aim of paving the way for the decamping governor to take full control of the party.
Recall that Diri had announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the past week. Despite not mentioning which party he would be joining, there are speculations that the governor is set to fully join the APC in due time.
However, with the latest development, Nabena while speaking to journalists on Friday said Diri will be joining the APC without any support base because the most political bigwigs in the Bayelsa chapter of the PDP are not decamping with him.
Urging the public to disregard the claim that Ogbuku was arrested in connection with the alleged coup plot, the APC chieftain described such a report as “fake”.
“Let me put it on record that we are not saying the Governor should not join the APC, it is a democracy and he has the right to join any party. The fact that we will not take is for him to destroy some people and the existing leadership of the APC in Bayelsa state because he wants to take full control of the party.
“We have traced the recent happenings in Bayelsa state to Governor Douye Diri’s camp, especially the arrest rumours of NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku (PhD).
“The plan is to destroy the existing organs and prominent members of the party before he (Governor Diri) formally decamps to APC on Monday.,” Nabena said.
Speaking further, he said that Governor Diri has no grassroots base and has yet to inform the APC leadership of his expected contribution to the party should he be allowed to become a member of the ruling party.
“This is a Governor that even some State House of Assembly members have rejected. About 90 per cent of the serving National Assembly members, including Senator Dickson and other high-profile lawmakers, are not on the same page with him.
“This is a Governor who is not in control of his local constituency not to talk of his entire Senatorial District. We ask Governor Douye Diri again to tell Nigerians who is running after him or what he is running after?” Nabena queried.
He also stated that several prominent politicians within the PDP are in alignment with the leadership of the NDDC boss and would only voluntarily join President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through Ogbuku’s influence at the right time.
