Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Monday formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that his decision was driven by the need to protect the political future of the state and its people.
Speaking at the colourful defection and reception rally held in Yenagoa, Governor Diri said he did all he could to rescue the PDP from what he described as “undertakers determined to bury the party,” but that his efforts were frustrated by forces within.
“On October 15, I did something after wide consultations with elders and the State Assembly. I resigned from the PDP for obvious reasons,” Diri said.
“This defection is not only for Bayelsa; it is for the Ijaw nation across Ondo, Edo, Delta, and Rivers States.
“I will not denigrate my former party. We were happy with it until some undertakers destroyed it. We tried to salvage it but to no avail. I never wanted my state to be buried with the PDP. What was going on made it necessary for me to take a decision — and the majority of the House of Assembly, including the Speaker, have come with me to the APC.”
Diri said his decision was also influenced by President Bola Tinubu’s evident commitment to the development of Bayelsa and the Niger Delta region, citing key interventions such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the second phase of the Nembe-Brass Road, and a ₦4 billion tax waiver granted the state for its 60-megawatt gas turbine project.
Two serving senators from Bayelsa — Konbowei Benson and Benson Agadaga — as well as former Senator Ben Bruce and Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, also defected to the APC during the event.
Welcoming the governor and other defectors, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described Diri’s entry into the party as historic and a turning point for Bayelsa politics.
“Today, Bayelsa has chosen the light of national integration over the shadows of political isolation,” Shettima said.
“Governor Diri’s leadership reflects calmness, unity, and compassion. He has built bridges where barriers once stood, expanded roads to remote communities, and lit homes where there was darkness. That is true governance.”
Senate President Akpabio lauded Diri’s courage and vision, saying his decision has united Bayelsa with the centre.
“Your defection is a mark of political maturity and foresight,” Akpabio said. “We are proud to receive you into the APC family.”
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Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, said Diri’s defection aligns Bayelsa with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, assuring that the state will witness even greater development under the new political partnership.
Formally presenting the APC flag and symbol (the broom) to Governor Diri, National Chairman Yilwatda declared him the new leader of the party in Bayelsa State.
“The Ijaw nation has spoken in one voice through Governor Diri,” Yilwatda said. “Today marks a new chapter for Bayelsa — a chapter of unity, strength, and progress.”
The ceremony was attended by an array of dignitaries, including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Pastor Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Ahmed Ododo (Kogi), Monday Okpebolo (Edo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), and Peter Mbah (Enugu).
Also present were former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority, Chief Ebitimi Amgbare, among several APC leaders and stakeholders.
The event drew a massive crowd of supporters who thronged the venue to witness what political observers described as one of the most significant political realignments in the South-South in recent years.