By Seyi Odewale
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has finally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) after recently dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The move is seen as a significant political realignment in the South-South region ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The colourful defection ceremony held on Monday at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa, was led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who described the development as a “bold step towards Bayelsa’s integration into the national political mainstream.”
Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu, said Diri’s decision demonstrated political maturity and foresight, stressing that the Governor’s alignment with the ruling party would accelerate federal attention to Bayelsa’s development priorities.
“The President values loyalty and partnership built on sincerity and purpose. Governor Diri has chosen the path of cooperation and progress. This decision will strengthen Bayelsa’s place in national development and guarantee more federal presence in this great state,” Shettima said.
Also present at the event were Senate President Godswill Akpabio, APC National Chairman Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, and six governors from across the country.
The governors were Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).
The venue was filled with party supporters waving APC flags, drumming, and chanting slogans to welcome Diri into the fold.
Diri, who resigned from the PDP on October 15, said the decision to leave the opposition party followed “extensive consultations” and was taken “in the best interest of Bayelsa and its people.”
“After broad consultations and careful consideration, we have today formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). This was a strategic, collaborative decision.
“While the justification for this decision may not be immediately apparent to some, you have my assurance that it was taken in the best interests of our people and for the accelerated development of the state,” he declared.
The Governor expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for what he described as his consistent fairness to Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation.
He cited the President’s commitment to key infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, the Nembe-Brass Road, and the Agge Deep Seaport as evidence of a leader who “acts in Bayelsa’s best interest.”
“There is a biblical verse about a friend who sticks closer than a brother. President Tinubu has shown himself a steadfast supporter of the Ijaw people and a friend to Bayelsa State,” Diri said.
Diri also mentioned Tinubu’s intervention in waiving heavy import taxes on the state’s 60-megawatt gas turbines, which he said helped ease power generation costs. He added that such collaboration could only be sustained through political alignment.
Senate President Akpabio, in his goodwill message, commended Diri’s decision, saying the move had opened a “new chapter of cooperation between Bayelsa and the federal government.”
He described Diri as “a pragmatic leader who has chosen progress over sentiment” and assured him of the APC’s full support in governance and development initiatives.
National Chairman of the APC, Yilwatda, while presenting the party flag to Diri, said Bayelsa had become a critical state in the ruling party’s South-South expansion strategy.
“Take this broom as a symbol of authority and unity. Sweep out the PDP and ensure all votes are swept into the APC in 2027. We must secure a strong percentage of votes in Bayelsa,” Yilwatda said.
He announced Diri as the new leader of the APC in Bayelsa, pledging that the National Working Committee (NWC) would henceforth liaise with him on all party matters in the state.
Diri confirmed that all eight local government chairmen and 23 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Abraham Ngobere, had joined him in the APC.
Bayelsa, which has been a PDP stronghold since 1999, becomes the latest state to witness a high-profile defection from the opposition to the ruling party.
Diri’s defection follows similar moves by Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), and Peter Mbah (Enugu), all of whom made their moves within the same year.
Governor Diri reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to policies that promote peace, unity, and inclusive governance, insisting that his new political affiliation would not alter his focus on development.
“When debates end and ballots are counted, Bayelsa remains one people with one destiny. Our political choices may differ, but our shared heritage and future bind us more strongly than any political party,” he said.
He called on all Bayelsans to come together and work for the state’s progress.
“Bayelsa is too small and too close-knit to be divided by politics. Our strength comes from unity. Let us go forward together, united in the common work of building a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive Bayelsa State for all our people,” Diri said.
