Bayelsa: Diri Lists 15 Reasons Why He Dumped PDP For APC

Shettima Welcomes Diri on Behalf of Tinubu

Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, led top government and party officials to receive Diri into the APC fold.

The Vice President praised the governor’s decision, calling it “a reflection of political maturity and courage in the national interest.”

Also in attendance were Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressive Governors’ Forum. Uzodimma described Diri’s defection as “a courageous and progressive decision taken at the right time.”

Other governors at the event included Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara), Monday Okpebholo (Edo) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun).

Prominent APC leaders present were National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of State for Petroleum Heineken Lokpobiri, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, former governors Adams Oshiomhole and Ben Murray-Bruce, Senators Konbowei Benson, Benson Agadaga, and Nze Chidi Duru, among others.

Why I Left PDP — Diri Explains

In a 23-point address titled “Bayelsa First: The Path of Progress and Unity,” Governor Diri outlined 15 key reasons for leaving the PDP.

He said his decision followed “deep reflection and wide consultation with stakeholders across Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation.”

“We tried all we could to save the PDP but to no avail,” Diri said.
“Undertakers were busy burying the PDP. I never wanted my state buried alongside it.”

He declared that his defection “was not just a Bayelsa movement, but a collective decision of the Ijaw nation.”

Addressing concerns about his political mandate, Diri added:

“Some said I would lose my office, but the only way a governor can lose his seat is through impeachment — and in this case, the Speaker and the majority of the Assembly members are with me.”

Diri’s 15 Reasons for Joining APC

Unity and common purpose in the PDP had collapsed.
Internal crises made party renewal impossible.
“Undertakers” within PDP were determined to bury it.
To protect Bayelsa lawmakers from losing re-election platforms.
PDP’s once-strong South-South base had disintegrated.
Decision made after wide consultation for Bayelsa’s interest.
Tinubu described as “a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road fulfills a long-standing Ijaw demand.
Tinubu “did not use federal might” to obstruct his re-election.
Nembe-Brass Road, neglected for 60 years, now receiving attention.
Tinubu waived Bayelsa’s tax burden on 60MW gas turbine import.
Federal endorsement of Bayelsa’s Agge Deep Seaport project.
Desire to align with leadership that prioritises Bayelsa’s welfare.
Refusal to remain “on a sinking ship.”
Assurance of unity within Bayelsa APC.

“With President Tinubu supporting Bayelsa’s development, I have no reason to remain where progress is impossible,” Diri stated.

He pledged to lead the APC in Bayelsa with humility and inclusiveness, saying:

“I am not a bossy type. I have come to unite us so we can work together and deliver a 99 percent result in Bayelsa come 2027.”

Mass Defection Follows

Governor Diri’s switch triggered a wave of defections as 23 of the 24 Bayelsa State House of Assembly members, two of the state’s three senators, and all local government chairmen officially joined the APC.

The development marks one of the most significant political realignments in the South-South since 2015, setting the stage for a potentially fierce contest ahead of the 2027 general elections.