Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has formally resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), becoming the latest in a string of high-profile defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The announcement was made on Wednesday, October 15, during a meeting at the exco chamber of the Bayelsa State Government House.
โAfter extensive consultations, today, October 15, 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,โ Diri declared, without disclosing his next political affiliation.
The governorโs decision was backed by 23 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Abraham Ngobere. Although only 10 lawmakers were present at the meeting, Diri stated that others were on official assignments. He also confirmed that all local government chairmen in the state would be moving with him.
The Bayelsa House of Assembly comprises 24 members: 20 from the PDP, three from the APC, and one from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Speaker Ngobere cited the PDPโs inability to field a viable presidential candidate for the 2027 elections as a key concern.
Diriโs resignation comes just one day after Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State announced his defection from the PDP to the APC, citing the need to better serve his constituents. Mbah described the move as a strategic realignment rather than a betrayal, stating, โIt is more about thinking I was entrusted with the peopleโs mandateโฆ on a platform that will best serve the people.โ
The recent defections follow similar moves earlier this year by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, both of whom joined the APC with their officials and appointees.
In response, the PDP expressed disappointment over the departures, urging its remaining governors to uphold their responsibilities as opposition leaders. โPeople have a right to decide what they want to do; the consequences can follow,โ said PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba during a televised interview.
Ologunagba also acknowledged internal challenges, including the presence of โmolesโ within the party, but expressed confidence that the upcoming national convention in Ibadan would help reposition the PDP for future elections.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu welcomed the defections, stating that the APC would remain open to opposition members seeking to join. Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly on Democracy Day, Tinubu remarked, โIt is indeed a pleasure to witness you in such disarray,โ drawing applause from APC lawmakers.
Once Diri is formally received by the APC leadership, the PDP will be left with just one governor in the South-East and South-South regionsโGovernor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers Stateโand eight nationwide.
