Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a significant political shift in the Niger Delta.
Vice President Kashim Shettima led top APC figures to Yenagoa for the governor’s official welcome ceremony. Dignitaries in attendance included Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the governors of Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Imo, Akwa Ibom, and Enugu States.
The event drew massive crowds of party supporters waving APC flags and chanting in celebration of Diri’s entry into the party.
Diri’s defection underscores the PDP’s growing internal crisis and the increasing strength of the APC ahead of the 2027 elections. So far this year, the PDP has lost four sitting governors, Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), and Peter Mbah (Enugu).
Announcing his resignation on October 15 at the Bayelsa Government House, Diri said it followed “extensive consultations.”
“After extensive consultations, today, 15 October 2025, I wish to notify you that, in keeping with the extant protocols, I, Governor Douye Diri, do hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he declared.
Although he mentioned “obvious reasons” for his decision, Diri initially withheld the name of his new party. He later confirmed his move to the APC, joined by all local government chairmen in the state and backed by 23 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, the PDP is battling internal leadership conflicts. National Chairman Umar Damagum’s suspension of key officials, including National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, has led to factional chaos, with rival groups now claiming control of the party’s national secretariat.
What you should know
Governor Douye Diri’s defection to the APC signals the weakening influence of the PDP in Bayelsa and across southern Nigeria.
His move, alongside other PDP governors, strengthens the APC’s position ahead of the 2027 general elections.
