A former Labour Party governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Udengs Eradiri, has called on Governor Douye Diri and his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, to integrate the Ijaw nation into the present government by joining the ruling All Progressives Congress.

 Eradiri, who is also a former Commissioner for Youth and later Empowerment in Bayelsa State, made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday.

 The former President of the Ijaw Youths Council argued that there was no better time to join the ruling party now to start reaping the benefits of attracting more infrastructural development.

He held that the two leaders should key into the present period of political realignment in the interest of the Ijaw nation so as not to wallow in political wilderness.

Eradiri said, “The time for political realignment for the Ijaw nation is now. The current political equation in Nigeria will alienate the Ijaw race if we don’t re-strategise 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 being in opposition to President Tinubu’s government, as it will only alienate Ijaws politically.

“Our fathers had always aligned with the centre, and Ijaws, no matter how bad, had always had some say in government. But today we have no voice in the APC-led federal government.”

He continued, “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 call on them to jettison every personal interest 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.”