Dickson: No plan to defect to APC

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has denied that he was planning to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Dickson made the denial in a reaction to claim by Senator Clever Ikisikpo while defecting to the APC on Wednesday in Abuja.
The lawmaker, who defected from PDP, had announced at the ceremony that the Bayelsa State Government was ready to move over to the APC.
But Dickson, in a statement in Yenagoa by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, described the assertion of Ikisikpo, who represents Bayelsa-East Senatoral District, as “uncharitable”.
He said that the senator made the comment out of frustration.
“Ikisikpo wants to dignify his perfidy and rope Governor Dickson into his dubious defection scheme.
“He is a man who rose from relative obscurity through the platform of the PDP from 1999 as House of Assembly member and later to the National Assembly.
“And, he is serving as a two-term member of the green chambers and from there rose through the shoulders of President Goodluck Jonathan to the Senate.
“He could not even, as a mark of honour and respect, wait for the president, his benefactor, kinsman and leader of a political party that gave him so much, to leave office before defecting to the APC.
“It shows the height of desperation, treachery, mischief and blackmail perpetrated by some of the so-called PDP leaders, who worked to deny the party victory at the polls even against one of their own.
“As a government, we are not surprised at the action of Ikisikpo and others like him. In fact, the public should expect many more defections in the days to come from those, who worked against the party.
“It is pertinent to state that, their leaving the party is of no consequence to the party’s fortunes. We want to assure them that posterity will be the judge.” Dickson said.