The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost another sitting governor, following the resignation of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri from the party on Wednesday — reducing the number of PDP governors to eight.
As of May 29, 2023, after the transition of power, the All-Progressives Congress (APC) controlled 20 states, the PDP held 13, while the Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) each controlled one.
The PDP’s hold on state leadership has since weakened, beginning with the APC’s victory in the Edo governorship election in November 2023. The ruling party further consolidated its dominance after the governors of Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Enugu defected earlier this year. Diri’s resignation — ahead of his expected formal defection to the APC on Saturday — continues this trend.
Governor Diri, who chaired the PDP’s zoning committee that allocated its 2023 presidential ticket to the South, announced his exit during an expanded State Executive Council meeting at the Government House in Yenagoa.
“After extensive consultation, today, October 15, 2025, I wish to formally notify you that I, Governor Douye Diri, do hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he declared.
“I am not leaving alone. With me are the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and several members of the State Assembly.”
He said the decision, though difficult, was taken “to move Bayelsa forward.” Diri confirmed that Speaker Abraham Ingobere, Deputy Speaker Michael Ogbere, APGA Minority Leader Edward Brigidi, and other lawmakers would join him.
While Diri did not name his next political destination, sources confirmed he would officially join the APC on Saturday, at an event expected to attract top party leaders.
Deputy Governor Stays Back in PDP
Diri’s deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has declined to defect, citing loyalty to his political mentor, former Governor Seriake Dickson.
A close associate said Ewhrudjakpo’s decision was based on “deep respect and loyalty” to Dickson, who brought him into politics and remains a strong figure in Bayelsa’s PDP structure.
This difference has reportedly created tension in the Government House, with some pro-Diri lawmakers allegedly considering impeachment moves to ensure alignment at the top — a situation reminiscent of the 2018 Tambuwal–Aliyu standoff in Sokoto State.
Dickson Faults Diri’s Exit
Reacting to the development, Senator Seriake Dickson criticised Diri’s decision, warning that mass defections could push Nigeria toward a one-party state.
“I have always been where I am — in the PDP. I don’t believe Nigeria should become a one-party state,” he said after Wednesday’s plenary.
Dickson said Diri had consulted him before resigning but insisted there was no justification to leave the PDP, which, he noted, “gave Bayelsa the opportunity to produce a vice president, an acting president, and even a president.”
He described the exodus of PDP governors as “political self-destruction,” saying instead of fixing internal issues, they were “abandoning ship.”
Wike Mocks Defecting Governors
Meanwhile, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike taunted the defecting governors, saying they should be grateful to him for “showing them the road” to the APC.
“I’ve been watching those who accused me of trying to destroy the PDP. Today, all of them are in the APC,” Wike said at the flag-off of the Outer Southern Expressway carriageway in Abuja.
“If I truly worked for the APC, they should thank me for paving the way.”
Wike praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for enforcing fiscal discipline and improving state-level governance through better resource allocation.
Kano PDP Chair Accuses APC of Destabilisation
In Kano, PDP Chairman Yusuf Ado Kibiya blamed the APC for the opposition party’s internal crises, accusing the ruling party of attempting to weaken democracy by turning Nigeria into a “one-party state.”
He alleged that some members of the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) had collaborated with “external forces” to sabotage the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting earlier in the week.
“The government is investing heavily in breaking up the PDP, but they’re mistaken. This is a new dawn for our party,” he said.
Kibiya dismissed the wave of defections as politically insignificant.
“Governors are not the electorate. The people, not politicians chasing personal gain, will decide who governs them,” he added.
He reaffirmed that the PDP remained strong in Kano and was rebuilding its grassroots structures to reclaim power in 2027.
