*Speaker, 23 State Lawmakers, Murray-Bruce Too
*Fubara’s Continued Stay In PDP May Be Shaky
By our reporter
The gale of defections to the federally-ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is rising with Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, today announcing his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join APC.
With Diri’s exit, he being only one of two last Governors standing for PDP (the other being Sim Fubara of Rivers State) in the South-South, it means the former largest party in Africa and former federally-ruling party, has lost control of one of its last two remaining states in the oil-laden Nigeria Delta.
Even Fubara’s stay in PDP appears shaky,given the emergency declaration on the state by President Bola Tinubu, which removed him from office,then restored him after six months, as well as reports that the Rivers Gov may have been handed some yet unknown conditions to remain in office.
Reports said Diri joined APC alongside Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Abraham Ngobere, 23 members of the State Assembly, and also former Senator Ben Murray-Bruce.
Diri’s defection, coupled with yesterday’s exit by Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to the APC, also means the PDP presently controls just one state in both the South-South and South-East, where it had been virtually untouchably dominant from the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999 till 2015 when APC’s now-late Muhammadu Buhari swept President Goodluck Jonathan away from Aso Rock.
Diri reportedly disclosed news of his defection at the State Executive Council meeting.
Several federal and state lawmakers recently dumped opposition parties for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Gov. Diri.
