November 03, (THEWILL) — Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), ending weeks of speculation and confirming earlier reports of his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Diri’s defection was officially sealed on Monday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, at a ceremony attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and several APC leaders from across the country.
The event drew a large crowd of supporters and party faithful, marking what many described as a significant political realignment in the South-South region.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Diri said his move was not driven by personal ambition but by the need to safeguard Bayelsa’s political and developmental stability amid what he called the “crumbling structure” of the PDP.
“This defection is not a Bayelsa defection; it is the Ijaw nation defecting to the APC,” Diri declared, adding that he could no longer watch “undertakers within the PDP bury the party and take Bayelsa along with it.”
He explained that his decision was influenced by persistent internal crises within the PDP, stressing that the defection would ensure political continuity and protect members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly from the fallout of the party’s leadership tussle.
Diri, who resigned from the PDP 19 days earlier, reiterated that his political ideology remains rooted in development and the protection of Bayelsa’s collective interest.
He urged his supporters to stay calm and optimistic, promising that his new alliance would bring about stronger federal cooperation and more developmental benefits for the state.
In his remarks, Vice President Shettima described Diri’s defection as a “bold and patriotic decision,” assuring him of the APC-led federal government’s full support.
“Governor Diri has shown courage and vision by choosing progress over partisanship,” Shettima said, adding that his entry into the APC would strengthen the party’s foothold in the South-South and deepen its national appeal.
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