Bayelsa Governor Diri’s Defection to APC Confirmed Amid Secret Plot to nullify nomination of PDP candidates 

Bayelsa Governor Diri’s Defection to APC Confirmed Amid Secret Plot to nullify nomination of PDP candidates 

 

 

The defection of Governor Douye Diri from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been confirmed.

 

The confirmation came during a world press conference held in Yenagoa on Tuesday by Hon. Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli, Technical Adviser to the Governor on Print Media and Public Affairs, and convener of the Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders group.

 

He called on political actors and citizens to support the governor’s impending crossover to the APC, describing it as a “non-negotiable and sacrosanct” decision.

 

Ikuli cited internal crises within the PDP, along with alleged plots to use legal battles and party instability to nullify the candidacy of PDP aspirants in the 2027 elections, as key reasons for the governor’s planned defection.

 

“There are concluded arrangements to hide under the excuse of crisis and countless court cases in the PDP to nullify all nominations made under its platform,” Ikuli warned.

 

Bayelsa currently stands as the lone PDP-governed state in Nigeria’s South-South geopolitical zone. Ikuli argued that remaining in the PDP poses serious risks to Bayelsa’s political and economic prospects, especially as the party faces growing legal and internal turmoil.

 

He accused certain PDP elements of sabotaging the Ijaw Nation’s political future, blaming them for the region’s loss of federal influence since 2015.

 

“Bayelsa and the entire Ijaw Nation were denied a second term at the Presidency due to these same actors still left in the PDP,” he said.

 

Ikuli urged Diri to align with the APC-led federal government to restore the Ijaw Nation’s influence and attract critical development projects.

 

He cited the appointment of prominent Ijaw leaders such as Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (Minister of State for Petroleum Resources), Chief Samuel Ogbuku (MD, NDDC), Chief Ebitimi Amgbare (MD, NDDBA), and Hon. Preye Aganaba (Executive Director, SSDC) as proof of President Bola Tinubu’s goodwill toward the region.

 

“We thank Mr. President for his magnanimity, including the federal takeover of the Second Phase of the Nembe-Brass Road. It’s time for Governor Diri to reciprocate that trust and align with the centre.”

 

 

 

Quoting Ijaw founding fathers, High Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye and Chief Melford Okilo, Ikuli emphasized the long-standing doctrine that the Ijaw people should align politically with the party at the centre due to their remote terrain and development needs.

 

He also listed the Agge Deep Seaport project as a major opportunity that could be realized through federal collaboration, which he said is only possible with political alignment.

 

To push their agenda, the Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders announced plans to launch daily rallies in Yenagoa to pressure the governor into defecting.