Bayelsa State was thrown into political excitement on November 3 as Governor Douye Diri officially left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), in what party leaders hailed as “a homecoming long overdue.”
The defection ceremony, held at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa, turned the city into a festival ground. Thousands of APC supporters filled the streets despite persistent rain. By 10 a.m., the stadium, which has a 5,000-capacity, was full to overflowing, forcing security to close the gates. Chants of “APC! APC!” rang out as drums beat, flags waved, and supporters danced along the route to the venue.
Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to formally welcome Diri into the APC. Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised the governor’s move, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, described the defection as “a courageous and progressive decision taken at the right time.”
Other governors in attendance included Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Monday Okpebholo (Edo), and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun). High-profile APC figures such as National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of State Petroleum Heineken Lokpobiri, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Senators Adams Oshiomhole, Ben Bruce, Benson Konbowei, Benson Agadaga, Nze Chidi Duru, and Hajia Fatima, wife of House Speaker Tajudeen Abass, were also present.
Why Diri Left PDP – 15 Reasons
In a detailed address to the crowd, Governor Diri outlined 15 reasons for abandoning the PDP:
- “We tried all we could to save the PDP but to no avail. Undertakers were busy burying the PDP. Seeing this, I did not want my state to be buried alongside it.”
- “This defection is not just a Bayelsa defection; it represents the Ijaw nation moving to the APC.”
- “Some ignorant people claimed I had lost my office. The only way a governor can lose his seat is through impeachment, and in my case, the Speaker and majority of the Assembly members are with me.”
- “Somebody had to make a decision, and I took it on behalf of the state. Some of you might not understand now, but in time it will become clear.”
Diri’s move marks a significant political shift in the Niger Delta region, signaling the APC’s growing influence in Bayelsa and among the Ijaw people.
Governor Diri Lists 15 Reasons for Leaving PDP for APC
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has outlined 15 reasons behind his decision to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC):
- Unity and common purpose within PDP had eroded, weakening the party’s cohesion.
- Internal dynamics made renewal of PDP difficult, limiting opportunities for progress.
- Undertakers were bent on burying the PDP, and Diri did not want Bayelsa to be buried along with it.
- Ensuring National Assembly and State Assembly members had a viable platform for re-election, avoiding PDP’s quagmire.
- South-South was once entirely PDP-led; Diri, who had chaired South-South PDP governors, found himself isolated as others left.
- Joined APC after wide consultation and careful consideration, prioritising the interests of Bayelsa people.
- President Bola Tinubu is a close friend and ally, supportive of Bayelsa and the Ijaw people.
- Tinubu initiated the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road project, fulfilling a long-standing demand of the Ijaw Nation.
- Tinubu respected the democratic process, refraining from using federal power to interfere with Diri’s re-election.
- Nembe–Brass Road, long neglected for 60 years, received prompt attention after Diri engaged the APC-led federal government.
- Tinubu waived the import tax on 60MW gas turbines, easing Bayelsa’s energy infrastructure development.
- Bayelsa’s Agge Deep Seaport project received federal endorsement, ensuring strategic investment and development.
- Alignment with leadership ready to act in Bayelsa’s best interest, advancing the welfare of the people.
- With Tinubu supporting Bayelsa’s development, there is no reason to remain on a sinking ship politically.
- No divisions within Bayelsa APC, and Diri has been fully embraced by the entire APC family.
As the leader of APC in Bayelsa, Diri emphasised unity:
“I am not a bossy type. I have come to unite us so that we can work together and produce a 99 per cent result in Bayelsa come 2027.”
Among those who joined him in moving to the APC were 23 of 24 members of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, two of the three serving senators—Konbowei and Agadaga—and all council chairmen, along with other political leaders.
