The Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa, was filled with celebration on Monday as Vice President Kashim Shettima formally welcomed Governor Douye Diri and his supporters into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The grand reception, held at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, was attended by a host of senior government officials and party leaders.
Representing President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Shettima described the event as a “rare and redemptive moment” in Nigeria’s political history. He praised Governor Diri for what he said was the people’s preference for “the light of national integration over the shadows of political isolation.”
“Your Excellency, this gathering is a homecoming party for you,” the Vice President stated. “We are not here for a ceremony of convenience but for a celebration of conviction. You have chosen the harder right over the easier wrong, and today, Bayelsa State has chosen unity over division.”
Shettima commended President Tinubu’s bridge-building leadership, emphasising that politics should be viewed as “the art of building bridges across rivers of difference.” He described Governor Diri as “a son of the creeks who has built literal and political bridges across the waters of the Niger Delta,” adding that his defection signified “a political reunion with a progressive mind.”
The Vice President assured the governor of the party’s and the Federal Government’s full support, stating: “You will not be judged by where you are coming from but by where you are going. This is not the depletion of the opposition but a confirmation of the strength and inclusiveness of Africa’s largest democracy.”
In his goodwill message, Senate President Godswill Akpabio congratulated Governor Diri on taking “a bold step in the right direction.” He described the move as a defining moment for the Ijaw nation and the entire South-South region, praising Diri’s infrastructural achievements in the state.
The APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, assured the governor and his supporters of full integration into the party. “The APC family across Nigeria welcomes Governor Diri and the people of Bayelsa. You are at home among progressives,” he said.
The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, characterised Diri’s defection as “a courageous and progressive decision taken at the right time.”
In his remarks, Governor Diri explained that his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) followed extensive consultations with stakeholders across Bayelsa. He cited persistent internal crises within the PDP and a desire to align the state with a national leadership focused on development as his primary reasons for defecting.
“Some ignorant people said I had lost my office,” Diri remarked. “But the only way a governor can lose his seat is through impeachment, and in this case, the Speaker and majority of Assembly members are with me.”
The governor emphasised that his decision was driven by the collective interest of Bayelsans, not personal ambition. He highlighted President Tinubu’s commitment to the long-demanded Lagos-Calabar coastal highway as a key symbol of inclusion for the Niger Delta.
“Today, President Tinubu is the first to take that demand seriously,” Diri said, pledging to deliver more development and unity under the APC.
The event culminated in the formal presentation of the APC flag to Governor Diri by the party’s National Chairman, marking his official entry into the ruling party.
Editing by Muzha Kucha and Tijjani Ibrahim
