‘Why We Dumped PDP’

A former chieftain of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State and a close ally of former President Goodluck Janathan, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha says   himself and others dumped the party because the party lacks internal democracy.
Chief Ikiogha, who stated this in an interview with journalists in Yenagoa, recently, said his former party conducted itself in a bad faith during the last primaries in the state.
According to him,’’The movement out of the PDP is due to several reasons. One, the way the PDP conducted itself during the preparations for the recent general elections destabilised the party. For instance, the primaries  were for the highest bidder.
“Two, the governors own the party. The party was practically owned by few individuals and they have the right to say this is the man that will go and they went all out, using the state’s resources to make sure that their candidate carries the day,  irrespective of what happen’’..
He also accused the PDP teadership of deceit and betrayal.
“During the election, of course, we saw the highest level of deceit and betrayals. Many party chieftains had one leg in the APC and the other in the ruling party. So, there is no trust; people don’t trust themselves; they cannot work together and up till now, political party matters are in court.  So, people don’t want to belong to where there is division’’, he said.
The former PDP chieftain, however, denied that he had problems with former  President Jonathan, adding that their  relationship remains very cordial.
”I feel that my political destiny is not tied to anybody. It is not tied to friendship or to even my wife or my mother or my father. Here is a man that we started together. We have been able to raise him to the level of President and he has finished what he needs to do and has come back home. Must I not chart my political course?
Chief Ikiogha said he has found a better association in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I feel that the platform of APC is better for me and if I have not been able to take that decision years ago because of him (Jonathan), now that he is no longer there, what stops me?” he asked.