Bayelsa PDP Jittery As Sylva’s Camp Joins New PDP

All is not well with Bayelsa State chapter of  the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as a group of influential members of the party loyal to the immediate past Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has broken away to join the new PDP under the national leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje.
The faction,led by an Interim Chairman and former Security Adviser to Timipre Sylva,Chief Richard Kpodor, is made up of former chairmen of the PDP in the existing Senatorial Districts and local government areas of the state.
The list of interim leaders of the new faction includes the former Publisher of the Spynet Magazine and close friend of Timipre Sylva,Mr.Sidi D. Godwin, the former Commissioner  for Water Resources, Chief K.D.Francis Itiokeife, the former Local Government Council Chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma, Hon. Ineye Ingbaifegha.
Others include a public commentator and loyalist of Sylva,Sir Tonye Okio,Hon. Alabo Martins,Abel Ogboma,Timi Frank,Abule Okara and Braboke Stanley.
The emergence of the group has generated  a lot of jitters in the old PDP as more prominent politicians from all the divide have identified as members of the new PDP .
However, a check on the list of those who have already shown interest revealed that they are mainly those who were dumped at the  emergence of the new administration in the state.
A source and a leading member of the Timipre Sylva administration said the “real” PDP members in Bayelsa State are re-grouping and have pledged loyalty to the Alhaji Kawu Baraje and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola leadership of the PDP.
According to him, “you guys are aware of the illegality perpetrated by the President in the state without due recourse to democratic norms. We are ready to fight him to stand still. We want to tell the world that he is not a political weight in his home town.”
Although, the claim that the likes of the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe is sympathetic to the new PDP could not be confirmed, as he was alleged to be aggrieved due to the shameful treatment meted out to him at the last mini convention of the party in Abuja.
Timi Alaibe’s name, as delegate of the Party from Bayelsa State, was reportedly replaced at the last minute with that of the Special Adviser on Domestic Matters to the President, Dr. Waripamowei  Dudafagha. But a close aide to Alaibe said his boss was a private person now and would not want to be dragged into politics of the PDP.
But the duo of the former Deputy President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC),Comrade Preye Agama and Hon. Alabo Martins,whose names were included as signatories in an advertorial in a national daily, denied being party to the emergence of the group.
The group had made publications in a national daily congratulating the new PDP national leadership in which the names of Agama and Martins featured as signatories.