Governor Douye Diri Says He Defected Out Of Conviction

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) based on his personal conviction at the time.

Governor Diri announced his resignation from the PDP on October 15, 2025 and was formally received by bigwigs of the APC, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, in Yenagoa, the state capital, on November 3, 2025.

Speaking on Monday night at the January edition of the monthly Praise Night in Government House, Yenagoa,

the Bayelsa governor stated that politics was dynamic and politicians should learn to accept change in the overall interest of the people they serve.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah quotes the governor as saying, “There is no static nature in politics because we have alignments and re-alignments. The development and progress of our state is the reason we are in politics.

“I do not just take decisions. l consult, l pray and my spirit tells me where l should go.

“Most of you know my political trajectory. I have moved from one party to another. I have moved from the National Solidarity Movement, and when the party was dying, we moved to the PDP and then to the Labour Party.

“In the Labour Party, we realised that we had met a brickwall and that was when l was invited to join the PDP again. Assuming l did not move, maybe l would not have become governor today.

“So, in politics, movement is allowed. Changing camps is allowed, but do it out of conviction. Do not be a slave to anyone. Your destiny and the next person’s destiny are not the same.

“If you are convinced and still following that person, please go ahead. But there is no static nature in politics. In political science, we have alignments and re-alignments. The reason reason we are in politics is for the development and progress of our state.

“What are we doing to hand over this state to our children? Do we hand over confusion, misunderstanding and enmity to our children because of somebody’s personal interest?”

The Bayelsa State governor said his administration was working hard to consolidate on development efforts in order for the state to rise above prevailing challenges in all ramifications.

OYO NEWS