YENAGOA, Nigeria (FN) — Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri on Wednesday announced his resignation from the People’s Democratic Party, marking another high-profile defection that further weakens Nigeria’s main opposition party.
The governor made the announcement during a meeting at the Executive Council chamber of the Bayelsa State Government House in Yenagoa.
The Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ngobere, along with 18 lawmakers elected on the PDP platform, also resigned from the party, according to a Vanguard correspondent reporting from the state capital.
Diri’s resignation comes less than 24 hours after Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah also defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress. The PDP has now lost four governors to defections this year, leaving the party with just eight governors nationwide.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, confirmed the development in a post on his verified social media account.
As of the time of this report, Diri has not publicly declared his next political move. However, political analysts suggest a possible defection to the APC amid ongoing shifts in Nigeria’s political landscape.
The wave of defections poses a significant challenge for the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the party struggles to retain its influence in key states across the country.
