Not less than 5,000 members including 59 leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State chapter, have dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The defectors, who cut across the eight local government areas of the state, claimed through their leaders that they returned to the PDP because the APC was confused, lacked focus and had no desirable agenda for the Ijaw people.

Governor Seriake Dickson received the defectors in company with other PDP leaders in the state at the party’s secretariat in Yenagoa on Friday.

The governor said the APC had shown Nigerians and the Ijaw people that it (APC)  had no agenda to make progress possible.

According to him, many of the returnees were deceived to join the APC but had realised that the party is bereft of ideas and have decided to rejoin the PDP to contribute their quota to the development of Bayelsa State.

As regards the 2019 elections, Dickson assured party members not to panic as the PDP remained intact and would ensure the defeat of the APC in the state.

He said the PDP government in Bayelsa under his watch had placed the state on the path of peace, prosperity and development, adding that Bayelsans are happy with the party.

He called for more support for the party leadership and assured the returnees that the PDP would create a level-playing field for all aspirants to contest elections.