The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continued its steep slide on Wednesday as Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, officially announced his resignation from the party, barely 24 hours after Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The latest exits, coming amid what analysts describe as an “identity crisis” within the opposition, further depleted the PDP’s control to just nine states, marking one of the most rapid political realignments since 1999.
Diri, speaking during an expanded State Executive Council meeting in Yenagoa, declared that his decision followed “extensive consultations” with stakeholders and lawmakers in the state.
He was flanked by Speaker Abraham Ingobere, his deputy, Michael Ogbere, and several members of the House of Assembly across party lines, including APGA’s minority leader, Edward Brigidi.
“Today, I wish to formally notify you that in keeping with the extant protocols, I, Governor Douye Diri, do hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.
“I am not alone, as you can see. I am here with the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and other members who share this conviction. We are leaving for self-evident reasons.”
The governor thanked his supporters for their loyalty, pledging to continue building what he called “a stronger and more virile Bayelsa,” even as he left the party platform that brought him to power.
*Legislators follow Diri’s lead
Speaker Abraham Ingobere confirmed that at least 21 of the 24-member Bayelsa House of Assembly were moving with the governor, describing Diri as the political leader of the state whose decision “reflects the collective will of our political family.”
“We align completely with His Excellency’s position,” Ingobere said. “Our loyalty is not to party lines, but to the vision of leadership that prioritises Bayelsa’s development.”
Diri’s resignation came less than a day after Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, made a similar announcement, citing “marginalisation” and a need to “align Enugu’s interests with the national development agenda.”
As reported by ThisNigeria on Tuesday, Mbah’s defection to the APC was the latest in a widening exodus from the opposition, with Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas tipped to be the next to cross over.
The newspaper also noted that the wave may soon reach other PDP-led states where internal discontent has deepened over alleged neglect from the party’s national leadership.
Mbah, while defending his move, insisted it was “not a betrayal,” but a pragmatic decision to ensure his people benefit from federal alignment.
“It’s about carrying the people’s mandate on a platform that can best serve them,” he told journalists in Enugu shortly after his broadcast.
His defection followed earlier moves by Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Akwa Ibom’s Umo Eno, both of whom had joined the ruling APC with their state structures intact earlier in the year.
*Decamping PDP govs running from mess they created- Dickson
However, a former governor of the state and now Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, Seriake Dickson, used the occasion to condemn the defection of Bayelsa State Governor from the PDP to the ruling APC, warning that such moves weaken Nigeria’s democracy.
According to him, defecting to the APC would not solve the internal challenges facing the PDP, as he stressed that strong opposition is essential to democratic survival.
He said, “We all know the PDP has issues, but its leaders should solve those issues; they are the ones who created them.
“I remain in the PDP, the party that allowed the Niger Delta to produce a Vice President, an Acting President, and a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The lawmaker added that a democracy without opposition risks sliding into authoritarianism.
“A democracy without opposition ceases to be a democracy; it becomes dictatorship and totalitarianism,” he said.
Dickson revealed that Governor Diri had consulted him several times before taking the decision, but insisted there was no compelling reason for a second-term governor to defect.
Despite recent defections and silence from the PDP national secretariat, the Senator reaffirmed his commitment to remaining in the opposition party, vowing to help rebuild it while supporting credible policies and appointments that serve the national interest.
*PDP promises rebirth
Reacting to the string of defections, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba said the party was disappointed but “not surprised,” acknowledging that internal sabotage and opportunism had weakened the opposition from within.
“The PDP is utterly disappointed by these actions,” Ologunagba said on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Wednesday. “But people have the right to decide what they want to do — and the consequences will follow.”
He likened some party members to “madmen in a China shop,” accusing them of deliberately undermining PDP’s stability while pretending to be loyal.
“We recognise that there are moles in our fold, but we are methodical and deliberate in addressing that. The upcoming national convention in Ibadan next month will reset our foundation and produce a new leadership with character, integrity, and courage,” he said.
Ologunagba insisted that the PDP remains focused on rebuilding from within, stressing that the party’s strength “lies in the people, not in defectors seeking convenience.”
“You must have a party before you can talk about candidates,” he concluded. “We are going to Ibadan to rebuild that party — and return it to Nigerians as a credible alternative.”
With two governors and dozens of legislators now gone, Wednesday’s developments mark the deepest shake-up yet in the PDP’s 26-year history.
