Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has severed ties with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Making the announcement on Wednesday from the exco chamber in the state Government House, the governor did not reveal his intended new political affiliation.
His decision received backing from twenty-three members of the State House of Assembly, including the Speaker.
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Diri’s resignation follows closely on the heels of his Enugu State counterpart, Peter Mbah, who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) just 24 hours earlier.
Mbah explained his switch, which he delivered in a televised address, as necessary for aligning the South-Eastern state with the Federal Government, FG, at the center.
He also commended the policies of President Bola Tinubu, acknowledging that the state has benefited significantly under the current administration.
Mbah’s move was mirrored by a large number of state officials, including members of the State House of Assembly, local council chairmen, and councillors, who also joined the APC.
These high-profile departures come in the wake of an earlier exodus of several key PDP figures who have since aligned with the African Democratic Party (ADC) coalition.
Among those who previously left the PDP to join the ADC were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, publisher Dele Momodu, and Senator Dino Melaye.
Atiku Abubakar, a co-founder of the PDP in 1998 and Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007, explained his decision to leave by citing the party’s current direction, which he felt had strayed from its founding principles.
He stated he found it “necessary to part ways” due to irreconcilable differences that had emerged, although he expressed gratitude for the platform the party offered for his two presidential bids in 2019 and 2023.
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Similarly, Dele Momodu attributed his departure to the party being hijacked by anti-democratic forces, while Dino Melaye cited the PDP’s failure to provide credible leadership and effective governance to the populace as his reason for exiting.
