Actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the office of Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, vacant following his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Governor Diri announced his resignation from the PDP on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, during a cabinet meeting at the Government House in Yenagoa, without revealing his next political affiliation.
Reacting in a statement issued on Thursday, October 16, 2025, Okonkwo argued that Diri’s decision to leave the PDP without joining another political party amounts to a forfeiture of his mandate under the 1999 Constitution.
Citing Section 177(c) of the Constitution, the former Labour Party chieftain stated that every elected governor must belong to a political party and be sponsored by one to remain in office.
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Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Okonkwo wrote:
“Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has just vacated his seat as Governor of Bayelsa State by resigning from the PDP and not belonging to any party. Governor Diri, being not a member of any political party, has lost his seat as governor. An elected member of government can only defect from one party to another but cannot be partyless at any point in time.”
Okonkwo, now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), urged INEC to declare the Bayelsa governorship seat vacant and conduct a fresh election within 90 days in line with constitutional provisions.