Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State says his defection, alongside most members of his cabinet, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is intended to attract greater development to the state.

The governor was officially received into the ruling party on Monday at a rally in Yenagoa by Vice-President Kashim Shettima. The event drew several high-profile politicians, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).

APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, presented the party’s flag to Mr. Diri, declaring him the new leader of the APC in Bayelsa.

“Bayelsa State has spoken. Today, Bayelsa is APC. The state is too strategic for us to leave in the hands of the PDP,” Prof. Yilwatda said.

He commended Governor Diri’s performance and symbolic defection, adding, “Take this broom as the emblem of our party. Sweep out the PDP and ensure victory in 2027.”

Responding, Governor Diri said his decision to join the APC was a collective one by the Ijaw people.

“On October 15, I announced my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party and stated the obvious reasons. Today, you will hear some of them,” he said.

“This is not just a Bayelsa defection; it is the Ijaw nation defecting to the APC. Among us are Ijaws from Delta, Ondo, and Edo states” he added.

Vice-President Shettima commended Governor Diri’s decision, describing it as a “wise and patriotic step”. He praised the governor’s developmental strides and pledged stronger Federal Government support under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

It will be recalled that in 2025, the opposition PDP lost four governors — Diri of Bayelsa, Oborevwori of Delta, Eno of Akwa Ibom, and Peter Mbah of Enugu — to the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.