Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), marking another major blow to Nigeria’s main opposition as several governors continue to defect ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor made the announcement on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, during a meeting with members of the state executive council at the Government House in Yenagoa. He said his decision was taken after “extensive consultations,” though he did not disclose his next political destination.
“After extensive consultations, today, October 15, 2025, I wish to notify you that, in keeping with extant protocols, I, Governor Douye Diri, do hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.
Governor Diri revealed that all local government chairmen in Bayelsa would follow him in leaving the PDP. His decision was also backed by 23 members of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, led by Speaker Abraham Ngobere.
Of the 24-member Assembly, 20 lawmakers were elected under the PDP, three under the All Progressives Congress (APC), and one on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, was notably absent from the meeting, with Diri explaining that those not present were away on official assignments.
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Speaker Ngobere told journalists that his support for the governor’s decision stemmed from a belief that the PDP no longer possessed the strength or strategy to win the 2027 presidential election.
Diri’s exit comes barely 24 hours after Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah announced his own defection from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Mbah, in a state-wide broadcast, said his move was aimed at better serving the interests of his people.
“This is not betrayal or abandonment,” Mbah said. “It is about carrying the people’s mandate on a platform that best serves them.”
Earlier in the year, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno also dumped the PDP for the APC, along with their cabinets and senior aides. With Diri’s departure, the opposition party now controls only one state in the South-South and South-East regions — Rivers State under Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Reacting to the wave of defections, President Bola Tinubu said the APC would continue to welcome members of the opposition who choose to join the ruling party. He described the crisis within the PDP as an internal matter that his government would not intervene in.
“Political parties fearful of members leaving may be better served by examining their internal processes rather than conjuring up demons that do not exist,” Tinubu told lawmakers during a Democracy Day address.
“I will not help them put their house in order. It is indeed a pleasure to witness them in such disarray,” he added, drawing laughter from APC legislators.
Despite the setbacks, PDP leaders have expressed hope that the national convention scheduled for November in Ibadan, Oyo State, will help reposition the party.
A statement from the party’s secretariat said internal reforms were already underway to address grievances and strengthen the PDP’s foundation ahead of the next election cycle.