Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has broken his silence on his deputy’s decision to remain with the opposition, stating he will not force his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to follow him into the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at a state Executive Council meeting in Yenagoa with his deputy present, Governor Diri emphasized that politics should be based on dialogue and mutual respect rather than confrontation.
He acknowledged that their new affiliation with different parties presents challenges but expressed confidence that ongoing discussions would lead to a resolution.
In a significant development, Governor Diri revealed that their private talks have led Ewhrudjakpo to withdraw the court case he had filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop a potential impeachment.
The governor thanked Bayelsans for their support during his recent defection, pointing to the large turnout at a rally as a sign of unity.
He also expressed gratitude to the APC leadership, including President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, for welcoming him.
Additionally, Governor Diri dismissed recent rumors of armed men entering the state as “false and misleading,” assuring residents that security agencies are maintaining peace and safety.
He urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information on social media.
Governor Diri officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15 before announcing his move to the APC.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
