Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a major political realignment in Nigeria’s South-South region.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, led a high-powered APC delegation to Yenagoa for Diri’s official declaration and welcome ceremony.
Also in attendance were Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, and Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno.
Party loyalists and supporters thronged the venue, waving party flags and chanting slogans to celebrate Diri’s entry into the ruling party. The development is being seen as a major blow to the PDP, which has long maintained dominance in Bayelsa State.
Political Shift and Background
Governor Diri’s defection comes amid a broader wave of cross-party movements by prominent politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections.
So far in 2025, the PDP has lost at least four sitting governors — Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), and Peter Mbah (Enugu) — to the APC.
Diri had resigned from the PDP on October 15, citing “obvious reasons” after what he described as “extensive consultations.”
“After extensive consultations, today, 15 October 2025, I wish to notify you that, in keeping with extant protocols, I, Governor Douye Diri, do hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party,” the governor announced at the Executive Council Chamber of the Bayelsa Government House.
At the time, he did not disclose his next political affiliation but confirmed that all local government chairmen in the state would move with him to his new party.
His defection also received the backing of 23 out of 24 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Abraham Ngobere. Ten lawmakers attended the announcement ceremony, while the Assembly currently comprises 20 PDP, three APC, and one APGA member.
Turbulence Within the PDP
Diri’s exit adds to the PDP’s mounting internal crisis. Over the weekend, the party was rocked by a leadership tussle involving National Chairman Umar Damagum and members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Damagum’s camp announced the suspension of key officers, including National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and National Organising Secretary Umar Bature. In a swift counteraction, Anyanwu’s faction suspended Damagum, National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, and several others.
By Monday, Anyanwu’s group, led by acting National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed, had resumed at the PDP national secretariat, while Damagum and his loyalists stayed away, deepening the division within the opposition party.
Governor Diri’s defection is expected to significantly reshape Bayelsa’s political landscape as the APC consolidates its influence in the South-South, setting the stage for a fierce political contest ahead of 2027.
