President Bola Tinubu has formally welcomed Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, into the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing his defection as a symbol of progress, unity, and political maturity.
Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the President at the ceremony held on Monday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Tinubu commended Diri’s leadership style and commitment to development, saying the APC stood for collective progress.
“The All Progressives Congress is a party for those who believe that progress can only be guaranteed when we stand together,” the President said. “Governor Douye Diri, your story mirrors that of your people. Politics is about development, not noise or opposition. We are immensely proud of you — you have made the right decision.”
He praised Diri for promoting peace and unity through infrastructure and social development.
“You have led with calm dignity and deep commitment to progress and peace. You have expanded roads to remote communities, built bridges where there were once barriers, and brought light to places once in darkness. That is what it means to govern with empathy,” Tinubu stated.
Describing Diri’s defection as “a homecoming to the progressive family”, the President added: “You are now part of a family that thinks and acts together. We welcome you warmly and will support you as the champion you have always been.”
APC National Chairman, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, also spoke at the event, urging Governor Diri to secure overwhelming support for President Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
He described Bayelsa as a strategic state for the ruling party and encouraged Diri to strengthen the APC’s grassroots base across the Niger Delta.
The event drew large crowds of jubilant supporters waving APC flags and chanting solidarity songs. Among the dignitaries in attendance were Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Governor Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Governor Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).
Governor Diri’s defection marks a significant political realignment in Bayelsa, a state long regarded as a bastion of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He resigned from the PDP on 15 October 2025 after what he described as “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 growing wave of defections from the PDP to the APC ahead of the 2027 polls. So far this year, the PDP — plagued by internal divisions — has lost four sitting governors: Diri (Bayelsa), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), and Peter Mbah (Enugu).