Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, marking a major political shift in the oil-rich Niger Delta state.
The governor was officially received into the ruling party on Monday by Vice President Kashim Shettima during a grand rally held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
At the event, APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, 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.”
Addressing the crowd after receiving the flag, Diri said his defection to the APC was not an individual decision but a collective political move by the Ijaw people across several states.
“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.”
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