Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has put his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress on hold as negotiations amongst key party figures continue over who controls the party structure in the oil-rich state.
The governor’s move, which was expected to be formalised last week, has been delayed by ongoing power talks between former Governor Timipre Sylva and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, party sources have revealed.
Top APC chieftains told The PUNCH that whilst discussions with Diri were “well advanced”, internal reconciliation efforts were still underway to ensure a smooth reception in Yenagoa.
The Deputy Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, confirmed the party’s openness to receiving the governor, describing the APC as “a large family” that welcomes Nigerians who share its vision.
“It is for him to decide. The APC is a large family and does not segregate. What I mean is that it is open to Nigerians of age, who believe in the vision of the APC, its manifesto and the leadership of the party and of the country,” Duru said.
He dismissed suggestions that Sylva and Lokpobiri were uncomfortable with Diri’s potential entry, insisting both men remained “faithful party men” who had contributed immensely to building the APC in Bayelsa.
“These are two leaders of the party in Bayelsa and we are pleased with them. They have contributed immeasurably to building the party in the state,” he added.
However, the APC vice chairman for the South-East, Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, revealed that the defection had been concluded but was being held back by challenges involving Diri’s deputy governor and former President Goodluck Jonathan’s political camp.
“Yes, I know that Diri is coming to APC but the challenges he is facing with his deputy governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, and of course Jonathan has not made him to make any open statement about his defection,” Arodiogbu said.
“It would have been about three months ago, but his deputy said he’s not moving with him. He looked at the former governor and also has some reluctance. But it’s conclusive that he’s coming over to us.”
Arodiogbu disclosed that the APC leadership was finalising a date to receive Diri in Yenagoa, adding that the event “could happen possibly next week.”
Diri’s resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party last week triggered widespread speculation about his political future, with many drawing parallels to recent defections by governors in Akwa Ibom and Delta states.
His joint appearances with Jonathan at two events in Yenagoa—the commissioning of Best Western Plus Hotel and the birthday celebration of former Senator Emmanuel Paulker—further fuelled rumours of a political realignment.
However, the governor’s media aides have remained silent on his next move. The Director General, New Media, Dr Kolawole Oredipe, denied any political connection between Diri’s resignation and Jonathan’s presence, saying “the governor only waited to receive the former President as a mark of respect.”
Party insiders told The PUNCH that negotiations with Sylva and Lokpobiri were critical to avoiding a repeat of the factionalisation that has plagued the Bayelsa APC in recent years.
There are indications that the current APC state executive may be dissolved and replaced with a caretaker committee to facilitate Diri’s emergence as party leader in the state.
Meanwhile, a former National Legal Adviser of the PDP, Mark Jacob, has called on Diri to vacate office, arguing that his resignation from the party without joining another has rendered his governorship “constitutionally void.”
“Without the PDP, Governor Diri would not have contested the election at all. The people of Bayelsa have the right to question his continued occupation of that office because they are the ones who voted,” Jacob said in an interview with ARISE News.
He criticised what he described as the “erosion of party discipline” in Nigeria, warning that the judiciary’s failure to enforce anti-defection laws had emboldened politicians to switch parties without consequences.
“Politicians move freely from one party to another without consequences. Nobody seems able to control the political class anymore,” he lamented.
The PDP has described Diri’s planned defection as a betrayal of the mandate on which he was elected, whilst the APC continues to work behind the scenes to finalise reception plans.
Political observers in Bayelsa say the next few days will be crucial in determining whether Diri’s gamble ushers in a new alliance with the ruling party or triggers fresh political turbulence in the state.
