In a stunning political twist, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), marking a major shake-up in the political landscape of the oil-rich Niger Delta state.
The announcement, which came through his spokesman, Daniel Alabrah, on Tuesday, sent shockwaves across the state and the national political scene. While the governor did not disclose his reasons for leaving the PDP, sources within Government House hinted that the move was the culmination of weeks of intense political consultations and internal party disagreements.
In a dramatic turn, all PDP members in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and the State Executive Council have also resigned from the party, signaling what appears to be a coordinated political realignment. The development, insiders say, may be linked to a growing rift between key figures within the PDP over control of the party’s structure in the state.
Governor Diri, who until now was one of the PDP’s most prominent figures in the South-South region, rose through the ranks of the party, serving as Commissioner under former Governor Goodluck Jonathan, Principal Secretary to former Governor Seriake Dickson, and later as a member of the House of Representatives before winning election as Senator for Bayelsa Central in 2019. He became governor in 2020 after a Supreme Court judgment nullified the election of the APC candidate, David Lyon, barely 24 hours before the scheduled inauguration.
Observers believe the governor’s resignation could be a precursor to his defection to another political party, with speculation rife that he may be heading to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the African Democratic Congress (ADC). However, the governor has yet to confirm his next political move.
The announcement came shortly after Governor Diri attended the commissioning of the Best Western Plus Hotel in Yenagoa alongside former President Goodluck Jonathan, raising curiosity among political watchers about the timing and symbolism of his decision.
Meanwhile, the PDP has not issued an official statement in response to the governor’s resignation, though party loyalists in Bayelsa and Abuja are said to be holding emergency consultations.
Political analysts say Diri’s exit, if sustained, could weaken the PDP’s hold on Bayelsa State, a traditional stronghold since the return of democracy in 1999, and may have ripple effects across the South-South region ahead of the next general elections.
As the dust settles, the people of Bayelsa await clarity on what next steps their governor will take — and how his departure will reshape the balance of power in the state’s politics.