PDP Loses Bayelsa Governor, Diri, 23 Legislators
In a dramatic turn of events, the political equilibrium in Bayelsa has been upended: the governor and his legislative cohort have walked away from the party that long held sway, signalling more than just a change of loyalty, perhaps a recalibration of power itself.
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has formally resigned from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and he did not go alone.
In a bold move, 23 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly tendered their resignations from the party alongside him.
The announcement was made on Wednesday at the Executive Council chamber in the Government House, Yenagoa, a venue symbolically suited for what some are already calling a “political earthquake.”
Though Diri declined to elaborate in detail, he attributed the decision to “obvious reasons” and said it followed “extensive consultation.”
While Diri has not yet publicly declared his next political platform, multiple reports assert that a defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is imminent.
Political watchers believe this alignment may bolster his influence at the national level ahead of the 2027 elections.
The mass departure leaves the PDP severely diminished in the Niger Delta region.
It also raises pressing questions about internal fractures, party discipline, and how political allegiances will be reshaped in the months ahead.
Already, critics have accused Diri of opportunism, while his supporters argue that the move was inevitable, given the longstanding tensions within the PDP.
In either light, Bayelsa’s political landscape may never be the same.