The Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum (CBSF), a political pressure group, has called on Governor Diri to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing strategic benefits of aligning Bayelsa State with the ruling party at the federal level.
Speaking at a press briefing in Yenagoa on Tuesday, the group’s convener, Mr Wisdom Ikuli, who also serves as Governor Diri’s Technical Adviser on Print Media, urged political stakeholders and citizens to support what he described as a “necessary realignment” with the APC-led Federal Government.
Ikuli emphasised that the CBSF is a non-partisan platform comprising Bayelsans across party lines, as well as non-indigenes who share a common goal of ensuring the state’s political and economic relevance.
“Bayelsa is now the only PDP-controlled state in the South-South. This isolation must end if we want development and political recognition. The governor’s defection is not just necessary—it is non-negotiable and imperative,” Ikuli declared.
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He alleged that several PDP members had conspired to deny Bayelsa and the Ijaw people the presidency in 2015 and warned that internal conflicts and ongoing litigations within the PDP could be exploited to disqualify candidates in future elections.
Ikuli argued that aligning with the APC would help Bayelsa secure critical federal support, especially for major infrastructural projects. He cited the historical precedent set by prominent Ijaw leaders like Chiefs Harold Dappa-Biriye and Melford Okilo, who advocated for aligning with the centre to overcome the Niger Delta’s geographic and political isolation.
“When the PDP was at the centre, Bayelsa benefitted immensely—we produced both a Vice President and President in Dr Goodluck Jonathan. Today, the Ijaw nation is marginalised, lacking any real presence in the Presidency, Vice Presidency, or security leadership,” he said.
Ikuli lamented that despite contributing over 65% of Nigeria’s oil revenue, the Ijaw people have little federal influence, a situation he blamed on the state’s continued loyalty to the opposition.
He praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for appointing several Ijaw sons and daughters into strategic national positions. These include Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ebitimi Amgbare as MD of the NDDBA, and Preye Aganaba as Executive Director at the South-South Development Commission.
Ikuli also commended Tinubu for approving the second phase of the Nembe-Brass Road project, a long-awaited federal intervention aimed at linking Bayelsa to the Atlantic Ocean.
“President Tinubu has shown commitment to Bayelsa’s progress. It’s only right that Governor Diri reciprocates by joining his fellow southern APC governors in ensuring the South completes its eight-year turn in power,” he added.
The CBSF announced plans to launch daily street rallies across Yenagoa in a bid to mobilise public support and pressure Governor Diri to reconsider his political allegiance.
Ikuli concluded by stressing the urgency of realignment, warning that without it, key projects like the Agge Seaport—considered vital for Bayelsa’s economic transformation—might remain unrealised.
The PDP has yet to respond officially to the CBSF’s call, and Governor Diri has not made any public comments regarding the suggestion.
