…Formal Declaration Slated For Oct 14 But Can Change
…Ex-President Jonathan, Ex-Gov Dickson Oppose Defection Plan
By Franklin Adole
Though unconfirmed, a story shared widely in the early hours of Thursday by a senior member of Governor Douye Diri’s team, who is in a position to know, claims that the Bayelsa State governor is set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). According to the source, the move, long speculated within Bayelsa political circles, was initially slated for formal announcement on October 14, but said that the date is not set in stone.
The insider revealed that Governor Diri, who is currently serving his second term, recently met with Jonathan to brief him on his decision to leave the PDP. The former president, who remains an influential figure in Bayelsa politics, reportedly advised him to “hold off” until the political landscape becomes clearer in the coming months.
The source added that Diri’s decision to part ways with the PDP was not sudden, but the result of months of frustration with the party’s internal chaos. As chairman of the PDP’s zoning committee, the governor is said to be increasingly disillusioned with the deepening divisions and lack of cohesion within the party at both state and national levels. “He’s simply tired of the confusion,” the source said. “He has decided to go his own way.”
According to those close to the governor, Diri has been managing his defection plans discreetly because of factional rivalries within the APC, particularly between his prospective supporters and those loyal to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva. “He knows the APC in Bayelsa is not one big family,” one aide noted. “That’s why he’s been careful — he doesn’t want to walk into another crisis.”
Multiple sources said Diri has secured the support of most members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, along with local government chairmen and members of the State Executive Council, many of whom reportedly encouraged him to defect before the PDP’s crisis jeopardizes their future ambitions. “The governor has the House behind him,” one lawmaker said. “Even if not all of us go, most will follow him when the time comes.”
However, the planned defection has not received unanimous support. Several PDP federal lawmakers, including two senators: former governor Henry Seriake Dickson and Benson Agadaga; and three House of Representatives members, Fred Agbedi (Sagbama/Ekeremor), Maria Ebikake (Nembe/Brass), and Mietama Obordor (Ogbia), are said to have rejected the move, arguing that there is “no compelling reason” to abandon the PDP at this stage.
Despite the pushback, the governor’s associates insist that Diri’s mind is made up. “There is no going back,” said a top lawmaker close to him. “We have passed the stage of consultation. The defection could happen any time after the consultations are concluded.”
A former lawmaker and APC chieftain from the governor’s local government confirmed that discussions with the ruling party were “at an advanced stage.” He expressed optimism that Diri’s entry into the APC would strengthen the party in Bayelsa, even as state APC chairman Dr Dennis Otiotio and the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, both claimed they were unaware of any defection plans.
Meanwhile, PDP leaders in Bayelsa are said to be sharply divided over the reports. Some party elders expressed dismay that Diri, who twice won on the PDP platform, could be considering leaving, while others blamed “young Turks” around him for pushing the defection agenda. “These are people who were nowhere when we fought for Diri in 2019 and 2023,” one party leader lamented. “They think joining the APC will give them federal backing to seize power by force.”
Sources close to Senator Dickson, who has largely kept his distance from the Diri administration, said he was not consulted about the plan because the governor knew he would oppose it. Those opposed to the defection are reportedly mobilising around Dickson to form a rallying point for the PDP should Bayelsa eventually become an APC-controlled state under Diri.
As of press time, the governor had made no public comment on the swirling rumours, but the story, though unconfirmed, continued to dominate Bayelsa’s political conversation throughout the morning, signalling what could be one of the most consequential political shifts in the South-South ahead of 2027.
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