Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri urged politicians in the state to defect to any party of their choice with genuine conviction. He made the remark while explaining his own defection from the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Diri resigned from the PDP on October 15, 2025, and was welcomed into the APC by top party officials, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, in Yenagoa on November 3, 2025. In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, on Tuesday, the governor explained that he made the decision based on personal conviction.
Speaking at the January edition of the monthly Praise Night at Government House, Yenagoa, Diri said politics was dynamic and that politicians should accept change in the best interest of the people they serve.
“There is no static nature in politics,” he said, adding that politicians frequently align and re-align. According to Diri, the development and progress of Bayelsa remain the main reason he and others enter politics. He stated that his decisions were guided by consultation, prayer, and spiritual conviction.
Diri reflected on his political journey: “Do not be a slave to anyone. Most of you know my political trajectory. I moved from the National Solidarity Movement, and when the party was dying, we moved to the PDP, then to the Labour Party. In the Labour Party, we realised we had met a brick wall, and that was when I was invited to join the PDP again.
News: Rivers Govt Receives UN Award, Reaffirms Commitment to SDGs
“If I had not moved, maybe I would not have become governor today. Polirealignments, alignments and re-alignments, and the reason we are in politics is for the development and progress of our state.” He added that while politicians aim to hand over the state to the next generation, they must avoid leaving behind confusion, enmity, or misunderstanding for personal interests.
Diri also highlighted ongoing development projects. He said the 630-metre bridge across the River Nun at Angiama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area would be completed in the first quarter of this year, and the government was expediting work on the Nembe-Brass road.
While the entire road could not be completed this year, he said the first phase would allow boats to travel from Nembe to Brass in under 20 minutes. On electricity, the governor described the acquisition of the state’s 60MW gas turbines as the first of its kind in Nigeria.
He added that his administration was creating an enabling environment for the economy to thrive.
He thanked the clergy, Bayelsans, security personnel, and sympathisers from within and outside the state for their support during the peaceful burial of his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo. Diri clarified that there was no lingering issue with his late deputy following his own defection to the APC.
He noted that Ewhrudjakpo had gone to court for fear of impeachment but later apologised and withdrew the case.
In a sermon at the event, Apostle David Zilly-Aggrey, General Overseer of the Royal House of Grace International Church, urged worshippers to recognise and appreciate God’s love and power.
The cleric lauded the state government for sustaining the monthly praise night and prayed for the Prosperity Government to finish strong.
