Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has said he and other politicians of the Peoples Democratic Party are praying for the return of the New Peoples Party of Nigeria presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso to the PDP as campaigns for the 2023 general elections intensifies. .
He disclosed this when the NNPP presidential aspirants were taken to visit Yenagoa Government House by top officials of their campaign council on Tuesday.
The governor who spoke through his deputy Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo said his administration was with Kwankwaso on various national issues affecting the country.
Describing the NNPP standard bearer as a “clever politician” with a passion to work for a better Nigeria, he however noted that the current reality shows that the country could be better settled by the PDP.
Diri also described Bayelsa as one of the most environmentally threatened places in the world with unacceptable levels of poverty that require urgent attention.
He pointed out that the state has been suffering severe environmental degradation over the years caused by gas flaring, crude oil spills and other environmentally damaging practices by multinational oil companies.
According to him, what the state and its people need is a Nigerian president who would ensure environmental justice and true federalism in resource allocation and redistribution.
Diri agreed with his visitor that he was seeing the country in what he called crumbling infrastructure, collapsed health and education systems, poverty and insecurity.
He said: “We agree with you on the need to rescue Nigeria. But you know there is no time for your birds and another will be fighting and you will be seen clapping your hands to the other bird.
“Earlier, you told us that you expected us to join you. But I also want to inform you that we are praying hard for you to return to PDP, where you are right.’
The NNPP presidential candidate, Kwankwaso, explained that he and his team were in the state to sell their desire and ideas to best fix the country.
He said he would mobilize all democratic forces to save Nigeria from insecurity, poverty, health care, agriculture, education and infrastructure if elected president in elections slated for next month.
He noted that the party was not the problem, but the election of the right person as president, warning that Nigerians would have themselves to blame if they did not vote “a healthy person as the next president”.
