In a last minute effort to salvage the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), former President Goodluck Jon­athan and some top members of the party, have pleaded with members of the party in Bayelsa State planning to defect to the All Progres­sives Congress (APC) on Saturday, to have a rethink.

The APC in a mega rally scheduled for the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, which would have in attendance Vice president Yemi Osinbajo, National chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie Oyegun,Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Timipre Sylva and governors elected on the platform is ex­pected to receive founding members of the PDP in the state into its fold.

Investigations revealed that the list of the defectors, which include PDP big wigs like, Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, former deputy governor Werinipre Seiba­rugu, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Sena­tor Clever Ikisikpo, Honourable Nadu Karibo, Honourable Warman Ogoriba, Honourable Gini Angaye, former speaker Nestor Binabo, Senator John Brambiafa, Honourable Stella Dorgu, former lawmakers, and former commissioners in the PDP government in the state had rattled Jonathan and the leadership of the party.

Jonathan, who is said to be worried about the crisis rocking the party in the state, which has forced some founding members to leave the party, decided to personally in­tervene to stop the defection, which is con­sidered a huge loss to the party in the state.

He was said to have placed calls to some of the defectors especially his political as­sociates to see whether he could convince them not to go ahead with their planned defection, but many of them told him that they have made up their minds to join the APC.

The PDP Unity group made up of po­litical associates of Jonathan and his wife, Patience also pleaded with their members not to defect to the APC.

The Coordinator of the group, Mrs Ma­ria Ebikake in a press conference begged them not to abandon the party, which they all contributed to build.

Ebikake, who frowned at some PDP members hurling hate speeches at the de­fectors, said they should desist from such act as it would not augur well for the party.

“We are not oblivious of the most re­cent defections from our great party in Bayelsa State to the opposition party, APC. We cannot also pretend to be unperturbed by the planned cross-carpeting of more of our esteemed members today.

“There is no doubt that some of these defectors are men and women of high political substance and pedigree that have contributed immensely to our past achievements. The PDP Unity group ap­preciates that things had not been properly done in the immediate past within the PDP.

“We recognise these seeming imperfec­tions as reason for the decision of some of our valued members to think of shift­ing camp to the APC.

“We therefore, most sincerely appeal to those, who have left to return home and those about to do so to remain because truly Bayelsa is the home of PDP.”