Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has officially resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a move that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape of the South-South region.
The governor’s spokesperson, Mr Daniel Alabrah, confirmed the development on Wednesday but offered no details on the reasons behind the sudden exit. He also declined to comment on whether Diri would be defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or any other political platform.
In a dramatic twist, all PDP members in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, alongside commissioners in the State Executive Council, have also tendered their resignations from the party, signalling a possible mass defection in the state’s political structure.
According to Daily Trust, it was gathered that Governor Diri is currently meeting with members of the state executive council, with the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, reportedly in attendance.
The resignation comes barely hours after Governor Diri and former President Goodluck Jonathan jointly attended the commissioning of the Best Western Plus Hotel in Yenagoa. Political observers say the timing of his departure, shortly after the event, adds an intriguing layer to the unfolding political realignment in Bayelsa.
Diri, a long-time PDP stalwart, has held several key positions within the party. He previously served as Commissioner under Jonathan’s administration when the former president was governor of Bayelsa. He was later appointed Principal Secretary to then-Governor Seriake Dickson, before being elected to the House of Representatives in 2015 and the Senate in 2019 — both under the PDP platform.
He ascended to the governorship in 2020 following a Supreme Court ruling that nullified the election of the APC candidate and was re-elected in 2023, consolidating his influence within the PDP.
