YENAGOA, Nigeria — Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri has formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), pledging to work with party leaders to secure an overwhelming victory for the ruling party in the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Monday, November 3, 2025, in Yenagoa during his official induction into the APC, Diri vowed to mobilise support across the state and deliver “99 per cent” of votes in the next presidential and national polls.
“I am not a bossy type. I have come to unite us so that we can work together and produce a 99 per cent result in Bayelsa come 2027. I don’t know the opposition from the other side,” he said, signalling a full political alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Diri’s move marks a dramatic political shift in Bayelsa, a state historically governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which he won the governorship.
The defection strengthens the APC’s presence in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta, an area long considered a PDP stronghold.
The governor said his departure from the PDP was motivated by what he described as positive engagement and support from the federal government.
“There is so much we can do together by aligning with the federal government that has shown us the will and direction that they love the people of Bayelsa state,” he said.
He added that the warmth he received from APC leaders helped ease his transition.
“Since I announced my coming, I have been accepted by the whole of the APC family in Bayelsa. So I want to thank the APC that has come to me in Bayelsa.”
Diri also claimed his decision had been influenced by the “guidance” of the APC-led government in Abuja, saying the administration had demonstrated “affection for the Ijaw people.”
Political observers have noted that federal support has historically played a significant role in Bayelsa’s political dynamics, particularly regarding infrastructure, security and development partnerships.
Seeking to calm concerns over internal party tensions, Diri rejected suggestions that his entry might trigger factional disputes.
“A lot of people were afraid that there might be factions in the APC,” he said.
“Don’t let anybody deceive you; anybody telling you otherwise is for their own selfish purposes.”
Positioning himself as a consensus-builder, the governor told supporters his primary mission would be to unite party members and strengthen internal structures.
“I have come to unite us,” he said, emphasising cohesion and solidarity.
