A former Labour Party (LP) Governorship Candidate in Bayelsa State, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, has called on the state Governor, Senator Douye Diri and his predecessor, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, to integrate the Ijaw nation into the government at the centre.
Eradiri in a statement on Wednesday told the two political leaders that there is no better time than now to move the Ijaw nation into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Describing the current period as the time of political realignment, Eradiri, who is a Fellow of the Nigeria Society of Engineering (NSE), said the Ijaw could experience political alienation if the leaders failed to flow with the political reality.
He specifically said Diri and Dickson should decisively join the APC to create the required opportunity for the Ijaws to play crucial roles in the corridors of power.
Eradiri, a former President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) argued that taking such a political decision would attract more infrastructural and manpower development.
He insisted that the Ijaw would gain nothing by being in opposition to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but would only be left to wallow in the political wilderness.
He appealed to Diri and Dickson to forego personal interest and see the bigger picture, insisting that their joining APC would be for the overall interest of the Ijaw nation.
Eradiri, a former Commissioner for Youths and later Environment in Bayelsa reminded the two leaders that their past political fathers living and dead used to align with any government at the centre.
Eradiri said: “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 strategize immediately and take a decision to join the ruling party.
“I am calling on Senator Seriake Dickson and Governor Douye Diri to join the APC now to guarantee the Ijaw Nation a place in decision-making at the centre.
“This is no longer the time for bravado. There is nothing or no point to prove being in opposition to President Tinubu’s government as it will only alienate Ijaws politically.
“Our fathers had always aligned with the center and Ijaws no matter how bad had always had some say in government. But today we have no voice in APC-led federal government.
“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 the APC.
“I, however, call on them to jettison every personal interests and other selfish sentiments and take this step, which I believe will be for the overall interest of the Ijaw nation.
“Ijaws cannot be onlookers. Our resources sustain Nigeria so we must be strategic to advance the development of Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation”.