A former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, has urged Governor Douye Diri and his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, to lead the Ijaw nation into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure national relevance.
In a statement released on Wednesday in Yenagoa, Eradiri emphasized that the current period of political realignment presents a critical opportunity for Ijaw leaders to reconsider their political affiliations.
"The time for political realignment for the Ijaw nation is now. The current political equation in Nigeria presently will alienate the Ijaw race if we don't strategise immediately and take a decision to join the ruling party," Eradiri stated.
The former President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) warned that remaining in opposition to President Bola Tinubu's administration would only leave the Ijaw people "wallowing in political wilderness" with no voice in national decision-making.
Eradiri, who previously served as Commissioner for Youths and later Environment in Bayelsa, argued that joining the APC would attract more infrastructural and manpower development to the region. He reminded the two political leaders that their predecessors historically aligned with the central government to secure benefits for their people.
"Dickson, being a former governor and now senator, and Douye Diri, a former senator and now governor, will give the Ijaws a voice at the national government if they heed this clarion call and move to APC," he explained.
The former gubernatorial candidate appealed to both leaders to prioritize the collective interests of the Ijaw nation over personal political considerations.
"Ijaws cannot be onlookers. Our resources sustain Nigeria; so we must be strategic to advance the development of Bayelsa and Ijaw nation," Eradiri concluded.
As of the time of this report, neither Governor Diri nor Senator Dickson has responded to Eradiri's call for political realignment.
