Diri join APC, says realignment is to attract devt

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party on Monday.

He was received into the ruling party by Kashim Shettima, the Vice-President, at a rally in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

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

The rally drew several prominent dignitaries, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).

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

According to the Chairman: “Bayelsa State has spoken. Today, Bayelsa State is APC. 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 fish in the fish farms. We saw agriculture booming. We saw trading. We saw everything doing good.

“Therefore, 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 the APC in Bayelsa State. And anything concerning Bayelsa State, the National Working Committee will contact 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,” he said.

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.

“Now, today, you will hear some of those obvious reasons. Your Excellency, the Vice President, here you see, it’s not just the Bayelsa people 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,” he said.

On his part, the Vice President Shettima commended Diri for making a wise decision by joining the APC, with over 95 per cent of Bayelsa people.

He said that the governor has done well for the Bayelsa people in all sectors, delivering the dividends of democracy to the grassroots in terms of development.

The Vice President assured the Bayelsa people of more commitment and support from the federal government, ably led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

NAN recalls that 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.