Damagum’s Camp Labels Defectors as ‘Betrayers’ as Shettima Welcomes Diri to APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday received another major boost as Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, officially defected to the ruling party along with two senators, members of the House of Representatives, and 22 of the 24 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

Speaking before a massive crowd at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa, Diri said his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was driven by a genuine desire to advance the interest of Bayelsa and the Ijaw people, not personal ambition.

He lamented that the PDP had been “hijacked by undertakers” bent on destroying the party, adding that several efforts to salvage it proved futile. According to him, his defection marks a new political direction for the Ijaw nation across Delta, Edo, Ondo, Rivers, and other states, all of whom, he said, now support President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Diri also cited President Tinubu’s developmental interest in the region, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Nembe-Brass Road (Phase 2), and a ₦4 billion tax waiver for Bayelsa during the acquisition of a 60-megawatt gas turbine, as major factors in his decision.

“After wide consultations with our elders and lawmakers, I resigned from the PDP on October 15. We tried to save it, but it was beyond redemption. I cannot allow Bayelsa to be buried with the PDP,” he declared.

With Diri’s entry, the APC now controls 25 states ahead of the 2027 general elections, giving it a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly and dominance across all six geopolitical zones.

Welcoming Diri, Vice President Kashim Shettima described him as the new leader of the APC in Bayelsa State, assuring that he would be judged not by his past affiliations but by his contributions to the party’s future.

“Your Excellency, you are home. Your defection is not the depletion of the opposition but the affirmation of democratic freedom and choice,” Shettima said.

Other dignitaries present included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, Progressive Governors Forum Chairman and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, and several state governors from across the federation.

Meanwhile, reactions from the PDP have been marked by division and outrage. A faction loyal to the party’s acting National Chairman, Iliya Damagum, denounced recent defections as acts of betrayal and disloyalty.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Dr. Mike Omeri, leader of the “PDP Patriots,” said at a press conference in Abuja that the defectors’ actions were “dishonourable” and driven by self-interest rather than genuine ideological differences.

He reaffirmed support for Damagum’s leadership, insisting it remained legitimate under the party’s constitution. “Their actions betray democracy and the trust of the people who elected them,” Omeri stated.

However, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, took a different stance, lashing out at the Damagum-led leadership for what he described as corruption, impunity, and disregard for the PDP constitution.

Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the former Rivers State Governor accused Damagum and other NWC members of turning the PDP into a “cash-and-carry” party.

“The PDP is collapsing because those in charge have no respect for agreements or the party constitution,” Wike said, warning that the upcoming national convention, scheduled for November 15–16, could trigger a constitutional crisis if mishandled.

Wike further accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of destabilising the PDP for personal ambition. “Atiku has no choice but to go. He has left and returned multiple times, using the party as a political vehicle. These are the people who destroyed it,” he added.

Wike expressed no regret over the exit of Diri and others, saying their departure exposed the PDP’s deep leadership crisis. “The party is empty because there’s no leadership. We cannot continue to tolerate impunity,” he concluded.



Key Points:

Diri defects to APC with top Bayelsa legislators.

APC now controls 25 states ahead of 2027 elections.

Damagum’s PDP faction condemns defectors as “betrayers.”

Wike blames corruption and impunity for PDP’s decline.