Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has officially announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), marking another major political shift in the country’s evolving landscape.
The governor made the announcement on Wednesday at the Executive Council Chamber of the Bayelsa State Government House in Yenagoa. His decision, according to sources close to the government, followed weeks of speculation about his dissatisfaction with the internal structure and direction of the party at the national level.
Reports from Vanguard confirmed that the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ngobere, alongside 18 lawmakers loyal to Diri, also tendered their resignation from the PDP during the same session. Their collective move is seen as a coordinated political strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
Governor Diri’s resignation comes barely 24 hours after Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The back-to-back resignations of prominent PDP governors have deepened concerns over the party’s shrinking influence across the South-South and South-East regions.
As of Wednesday evening, Diri had not revealed his next political destination. However, insiders suggest ongoing consultations with key figures within the APC and other emerging political platforms. “The governor will make his next step known soon. His decision is in the interest of Bayelsa and its people,” a close aide reportedly stated.
The PDP, which has now lost three sitting governors to defections this year alone, is left with only eight governors nationwide. The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, also confirmed the resignation in a brief social media post, describing it as “a new chapter for purposeful leadership.”
