Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has defended his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the move was made “in the best interest of the state.”
Speaking publicly for the first time since his resignation from the PDP on 15 October 2025, Governor Diri addressed the matter on Sunday during the 14th Bayelsa Thanksgiving Day at the Ecumenical Centre in Igbogene, Yenagoa. He is expected to be formally received into the APC on Monday, 3 November.
“Somebody had to take the decision, and I took it on behalf of the state,” Diri said. “It may not be clear to everyone now, but in time, people will understand that it was for the good of Bayelsa.”
The governor emphasised that his political realignment was driven by a desire to sustain peace, security, and development in Bayelsa, stressing that politics should be “a tool for development, not destruction.”
“When we came in as a government, our first priority was to complete existing projects before starting new ones. That alone is reason to thank God. The peace and security we now enjoy are also reasons to be grateful,” he said.
Governor Diri commended the gathering of leaders from various political backgrounds at the thanksgiving event, describing it as a “testimony of the unity in the state.”
Among dignitaries at the event was Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his Senior Policy Adviser, Funkekeme Solomon, who praised Bayelsa’s culture of thanksgiving and urged continued unity and support for Diri’s administration.
Also in attendance, Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, hailed Diri as a “unifier” and commended his defection to the ruling party, calling it a “timely and strategic move.”
“Bayelsa cannot afford to remain in opposition when major national development decisions are being made,” Lokpobiri said.
Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), described Diri as “a godsend” whose leadership had brought visible progress to the state, while praying for divine wisdom for him to continue his work.
Delivering a sermon titled “Reasons Why We Should Thank God,” Bishop Mike Okonkwo, General Overseer of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), urged the people to remain steadfast in gratitude and faith, assuring them that “as long as God remains their Alpha and Omega, victory and blessings are certain.”
