Defection: We’re Proud Of You, Tinubu Tells Bayelsa Governor

President Bola Tinubu has officially welcomed Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri into the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing his defection as a symbol of progress and unity.

Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the President at the ceremony on Monday in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.

Tinubu praised Diri’s leadership style and commitment to development.

“The All Progressives Congress is a party of those who believe that progress can only be guaranteed when we stand together.

“Governor Douye Diri, your story mirrors that of your people. Politics is about development, not noise or opposition.

“We are mightily proud of you. You have made the right decision,” he said.
The President commended Diri for promoting peace and unity through infrastructural growth across the state.

“You have led with calm dignity, yet with deep commitment to development and peace. You have expanded roads to remote communities, built bridges where there were barriers, and brought light where there was darkness. This is what it means to govern with empathy,” Tinubu told the governor. He described Diri’s defection as “a homecoming to the progressive family”.

“You are now part of a family that thinks and acts together. We welcome you and will support you as the champion you have always been,” he added.

APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, who also spoke at the event, urged Governor Diri to deliver massive votes for President Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The party chairman described Bayelsa as a critical state for the ruling party and urged the governor to strengthen its base across the region.

The ceremony drew large crowds of APC supporters waving party flags and chanting slogans. Shettima led top APC figures, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, and Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State.

Governor Diri’s defection marks a major political shift in Bayelsa, long considered a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Diri resigned from the PDP on 15 October 2025 after what he called “extensive consultations.”
His defection was endorsed by 23 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Abraham Ngobere.

Diri’s move adds to a wave of defections from the PDP to the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections. So far this year, the PDP, a party battling internal crisis, has lost four sitting governors: Diri (Bayelsa), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), and Peter Mbah (Enugu).