Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State was officially welcomed into the All Progressives Congress (APC) by President Bola Tinubu, who referred to his defection as a sign of progress and unity.
At the ceremony held on Monday in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, Vice President Kashim Shettima stepped up to represent the president.
Diri’s leadership and commitment to development were praised by Tinubu.
The All Progressives Congress is a group of “the people who think progress can only be achieved by working together,” the party said.
Your story, Governor Duye Diri, echoes that of your people. Politics is about development, not opposition or noise.
We are enormously proud of you. He claimed, “You have chosen the right course of action.”
The state’s governor praised Diri for promoting peace and unity through the state’s overall infrastructure development.
You have led with sassociety and a strong commitment to peace and development. You’ve built bridges where there were barriers, opened roads to remote communities, and provided light where there was darkness. Tinubu addressed the governor, “This is what it means to govern with empathy.”
He referred to Diri’s defection as “a homecoming to the progressive family.”
“You now belong to a family that thinks and acts together.” We welcome you and pledge to continue to support you as a true champion, he continued.
Read more: Shettima, Akpabio, and APC governors in Bayelsa as Diri joins the ruling party.
Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC National Chairman, who also took the stage, demanded that Governor Diri mobilize large numbers of voters for President Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The party’s chairman urged the governor to expand its base throughout the region and referred to Bayelsa as a crucial state for the ruling party.
APC supporters chanting slogans and waving party flags at large crowds during the ceremony. Governors Godswill Akpabio, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, and Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom were among the top APC figures under the leadership of Shettima.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has long been viewed as a stronghold in Bayelsa, with Governor Diri’s departure a significant political shift.
After what he called “extensive consultations,” Diri resigned from the PDP on October 15, 2025.
The Bayelsa State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Abraham Ngobere, approved his defection.
Prior to the 2027 general elections, Diri’s choice is just one more defection from the PDP to the APC.
Source: Channels TV
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