IT’S OFFICIAL: Bayelsa governor Diri joins APC

Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa state, has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He was received into the ruling party on Monday by Kashim Shettima, the vice-president, at a rally in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The event drew a large crowd of supporters and top political figures across the south-south geopolitical zone.

Nentawe Yilwatda, APC national chairman, presented the party’s flag to Diri, declaring him the new leader of the APC in the state.

“Bayelsa state has spoken. Today, Bayelsa state is APC,” Yilwatda said.

“Bayelsa state is too critical for us to leave it in the hands of the PDP. The roads have been constructed. We saw it. We saw the fishes in the fish farms. We saw agriculture booming. We saw trading. We saw everything doing good.

“Therefore, Governor Diri is welcome to the family of the APC. I now give him this flag as the leader of the party in the state.

“He takes over as the leader of APC in Bayelsa State. And anything concerning Bayelsa State, the National Working Committee will contact Governor Diri.

“I will hold him responsible for APC in the state. Today, you take over as a leader of our party in Bayelsa state. Welcome, our leader in Bayelsa.

“Take this broom as a symbol of our party. Sweep out PDP, and ensure that the votes are swept in. In 2027, sweep in all the votes for APC.”

Speaking after receiving the flag, Diri said his defection represents a collective decision by the Ijaw people.

“On the 15th, I announced my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party, and I ended up by saying, for obvious reasons,” Diri said.

“Now, today, you will hear some of those obvious reasons. Your Excellency, the Vice President, here you see, it’s not just Bayelsans alone.

“There are Ijaws from Delta State in their numbers who are here. There are Ijaws from Ondo State in their numbers here. There are Ijaws from Edo State in their numbers here.

“This defection is not a Bayelsa defection. It is the Ijaw nation defecting to the APC.”

The rally was attended by several high-profile figures, including Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, and governors Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Hope Uzodimma of Imo, and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom.

Diri’s defection marks another major setback for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has seen a series of high-profile departures in recent months.

This year alone, the opposition party has lost four governors — Diri of Bayelsa, Oborevwori of Delta, Eno of Akwa Ibom, and Peter Mbah of Enugu — to the APC ahead of the 2027 general election.