Engr. Udengs Eradiri, the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 Bayelsa off-cycle election, has accused several South-South governors of defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to shield themselves from accountability over alleged financial mismanagement.
Eradiri made these remarks during a session with journalists at the Correspondents’ Forum, an event organized by the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel (FCC) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). Speaking on the political state of the region, he criticized current governors for lacking integrity and competence, unlike past leaders such as James Ibori, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and Peter Odili, who he said did not abandon their parties despite political pressure.
According to Eradiri, the current crop of governors is seeking refuge in the APC after allegedly misappropriating funds received from the excess crude allocation granted by President Bola Tinubu. He claimed these governors are unable to justify their spending and have therefore chosen political realignment as a means to avoid scrutiny.
“The Iboris, Alamieyeseigha and Odili stood because they had no skeletons in their cupboards,” Eradiri stated. “But this current set of governors have eaten the money from the excess crude brought by President Tinubu. That is why they are running to join APC—to hide.”
He said these leaders no longer have the moral authority to govern and cannot hold their heads high. Eradiri accused them of plunging their states into political confusion and mismanagement due to their lack of vision and capacity to govern effectively.
Focusing on his home state, Bayelsa, Eradiri said Governor Douye Diri’s administration is ineffectual and only sustains itself on public deception. He pointed to increasing insecurity in the state, alleging that the government has turned a blind eye to street violence and killings.
“People are on the street killing others indiscriminately in this town, and the government is not concerned,” Eradiri said. “They are busy chasing political ambitions, like becoming vice president to Atiku.”
Eradiri also criticized those aligning with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He argued that political affiliations with Atiku have historically led to the downfall of many politicians from the South-South.
“Alamieyeseigha joined Atiku and suffered until he died. Ibori went to prison because of Atiku. Okowa is heavily indebted in Delta because of Atiku. The crisis in Rivers State involving Siminalayi Fubara is because of Atiku,” he asserted.
He accused politicians of wasting public resources on unnecessary projects in a bid to channel funds toward Atiku’s political ambition. He pointed specifically to the construction of a nine-story secretariat building in Bayelsa, arguing that it was a redundant project considering the poor state of existing government infrastructure.
“There is a four-story building with non-functional lifts and toilets. Behind the Transparency Building are uncompleted structures, yet they are building another edifice,” he said. “Why not invest that money in housing for civil servants?”
Eradiri said he had become disillusioned with opposition politics in Bayelsa, explaining his recent defection to the APC. He attributed his decision to the extreme poverty he encountered during his campaign, which he said forced many voters to prioritize short-term survival over political ideals.
“I have joined APC because I saw too much suffering in Labour Party. Our people are too poor for opposition politics,” he said. “On election day, they voted otherwise because they were hungry.”
He also commented on the political tension in Rivers State between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike. Eradiri condemned how the conflict was framed as an ethnic issue involving the Ijaw people, stating that it was purely a political dispute.
“I said from the beginning that the fight between Sim and Wike is political, not ethnic,” he said. “Now that Sim is on his own, where are the Ijaw groups that claimed they would intervene? It was all a ploy to divert funds from Rivers and Bayelsa.”
Eradiri concluded by urging leaders to prioritize the needs of the people and resist the temptation to misuse public funds under the cover of political alliances.
