Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has announced his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during a statement made in the exco chamber of the Bayelsa State Government House. Diri did not disclose his next political affiliation. His decision was supported by 23 members of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, led by the Speaker.
This defection follows closely on the heels of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah’s switch to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Earlier, Diri attended the commissioning of the Best Western Plus hotel in Yenagoa alongside former President Goodluck Jonathan, under whom he served as a commissioner when Jonathan was Bayelsa’s governor.
Diri’s political career includes roles as Principal Secretary to former Governor Seriake Dickson, a House of Representatives member in 2015, and a Senator for Bayelsa Central in 2019, all under the PDP. He became governor in 2020 and was re-elected in 2023.
