A prominent Ijaw leader, Joseph Ambakaderimo, has called on the governors of Bayelsa and Rivers states, Senator Duoye Diri and Siminalayi Fubara, to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to fast-track development in the South-South region.
“The Ijaw people no longer have a stake in the PDP,” Ambakaderimo stated in an interview with Vanguard in Port Harcourt. “Staying in the PDP at this time is a misapplication of reality. We need to integrate ourselves into a place that will attract development.”
According to Ambakaderimo, the PDP has failed to provide solutions to the region’s infrastructural challenges. “There’s no pathway forward for the Ijaw people in the PDP or the African Democratic Congress (ADC),” he said. “Bayelsa needs accelerated development, which can only be achieved by aligning with the centre.”
Ambakaderimo emphasized that Governor Diri’s potential defection to the APC would not be a personal decision, but rather a move that would benefit the people of Bayelsa. “This is not a time for cautious steps but for courageous leaps,” he urged. “The Ijaw people have been lagging behind for too long; we need to galvanize our people for greater economic renaissance.”
The Ijaw leader also highlighted the importance of having a seat at the table where major government decisions are made. “As the fourth-largest ethnic group, Ijaws must be represented at the centre to protect our interests and benefit substantially from politics,” he said.
Ambakaderimo drew parallels with the region’s history, recalling that prominent Ijaw figures such as Chief Harold Dappa Biriye and Chief Medford Okilo rose to prominence by aligning with the ruling party at the time. “The well-being of our people should be the overriding motivating factor going forward,” he stressed.
In his view, Governor Diri’s switch to the APC would expand economic opportunities for the people of Bayelsa and create opportunities for appointments at the federal level. “We need to play this game to feel the pulse of the federal government until Nigeria adopts a true fiscal federalist system of government,” Ambakaderimo concluded.