Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The announcement, made at a packed ceremony inside Government House, Yenagoa, marks a dramatic turning point in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape and a significant blow to the PDP’s once-dominant hold on the South-South region.
Diri, a former senator who twice emerged victorious under the PDP in the 2019 and 2023 governorship elections, said his decision followed “deep reflection” on the PDP’s worsening internal divisions. Addressing a jubilant crowd of supporters waving APC flags, the governor declared that the PDP had lost its founding vision. “The PDP, once a party of unity, has been overtaken by personal ambition and endless factionalism. I am joining the APC not as a defector, but as a bridge-builder, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for a renewed and inclusive Nigeria,” he said to loud applause.
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The defection comes barely 24 hours after Enugu Governor Peter Mbah joined the APC, making Diri the fourth PDP governor in as many weeks to switch sides, following similar moves by Delta’s Sheriff Oborevwori and Akwa Ibom’s Umo Eno. The exodus has weakened the PDP’s southern base, reducing the party’s number of governors from 23 in 2015 to just nine nationwide.
Rumors of Diri’s impending defection had circulated since June, with sources close to the governor confirming that talks with APC national leaders intensified in recent months. Although initially scheduled for October 14, the official announcement was delayed following late-night consultations with Bayelsa elders. Insiders revealed that Diri personally informed former President Goodluck Jonathan of his decision “out of respect,” though Jonathan’s camp has so far maintained silence.
The defection enjoyed strong backing from the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, where most lawmakers have pledged loyalty to Diri’s new political direction. One assembly member, speaking anonymously, said the move was a strategic survival step. “The PDP’s national crisis has made re-election risky. Joining the ruling party gives us a stronger platform for continuity and development,” he said.
However, not all Bayelsa leaders are on board. Former Governor Henry Seriake Dickson and several National Assembly members, including Fred Agbedi, Maria Ebikake, and Mietama Obordor, have publicly rejected Diri’s move, insisting there is “no compelling reason” to abandon the PDP.
Diri’s arrival in the APC adds a new layer of complexity to the party’s internal rivalry between camps loyal to former Governor and Minister of Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, and those aligned with Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri. Despite this, Sylva extended an olive branch on Tuesday, saying, “If Governor Diri is joining the APC, I am glad to welcome him.”
Political observers say Diri’s challenge now lies in uniting the divided party structure before 2027. Udengs Eradiri, a former Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) President and APC chieftain, urged the governor to “convene a reconciliation summit” to mend fences. “Diri’s calm and inclusive style can heal old wounds and prepare the APC for total victory in the next elections,” Eradiri said, adding that the state stands to gain unprecedented federal attention and investment under the APC-led government.
Diri’s aide, Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli, described the defection as “non-negotiable and inevitable,” citing years of Ijaw marginalization under PDP rule. He pointed to President Tinubu’s appointment of Bayelsa sons such as Lokpobiri and Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, as proof of the APC’s commitment to the Niger Delta.
The defection highlights the PDP’s deepening crisis, worsened by internal conflicts spilling over from Rivers and other southern states. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), users reacted with mixed emotions. One post read, “PDP’s collapse continues as Tinubu’s APC takes over the South-South,” while others speculated that Taraba’s Agbu Kefas and Rivers’ Sim Fubara could be next.
For Bayelsa, Diri’s switch could accelerate federal funding for key projects such as the Nembe-Brass Road, Agge Deep Seaport, and coastal community development schemes. Yet critics warn that failure to reconcile warring factions within the APC could destabilize the state ahead of 2027.
