The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has urged Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri to ensure
a resounding victory for the ruling party and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in
the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an official ceremony in Yenagoa on
Monday to formally welcome Diri into the APC, Yilwatda handed the governor the
party’s broom symbol, charging him to “sweep out the PDP” and secure
overwhelming support for the APC in Bayelsa.
“Take this broom as a symbol of authority and unity.
Sweep out the PDP and ensure all votes are swept into the APC in 2027. We must
secure a strong percentage of votes in Bayelsa,” the APC chairman declared
while presenting Diri with the party’s flag.
Yilwatda described Bayelsa as a vital state for the
ruling party, stressing that Governor Diri is now the leader of the APC in the
state.
“From today, Bayelsa State is APC. Governor Diri is
the leader of our party here. The National Working Committee will work directly
with him on all party matters in the state, and I will hold him responsible for
the APC’s growth and success,” he stated.
The high-profile event was attended by Vice President
Kashim Shettima, who led a powerful delegation of APC leaders to Yenagoa. The
venue was filled with jubilant supporters waving party flags and chanting
victory songs.
Other dignitaries present included Senate President
Godswill Akpabio, Governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo),
Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).
Diri’s defection marks a major political realignment
in Bayelsa, traditionally regarded as a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP).
The governor had announced his resignation from the
PDP on October 15, 2025, citing “extensive consultations” before making the
move. Speaking at the Executive Council Chamber in Yenagoa, he stated:
“After extensive consultations, today, 15 October
2025, I wish to notify you that, in keeping with the extant protocols, I,
Governor Douye Diri, do hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic
Party.”
He later revealed that all local government chairmen
in Bayelsa would join him in the APC, a move that was swiftly endorsed by 23
members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly led by Speaker Abraham Ngobere.
Diri’s switch adds to a growing list of defections
from the PDP to the APC ahead of the 2027 elections. So far, four sitting
governors — Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa
Ibom), and Peter Mbah (Enugu) — have left the opposition party this year.
Meanwhile, the PDP continues to be plagued by internal
leadership crises. Over the weekend, National Chairman Umar Damagum suspended
key party officers, including National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and National
Organising Secretary Umar Bature.
In retaliation, Anyanwu’s faction suspended Damagum
and National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba. By Monday, acting National
Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed had taken charge at the party’s national
secretariat, while Damagum’s camp stayed away.
With less than two years until the 2027 general
elections, Nigeria’s political scene is witnessing intense realignments as both
major parties maneuver to strengthen their bases and consolidate power across
key states.
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