The Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum (CBSF), a political pressure group, has urged Governor Douye Diri to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as part of efforts to better align Bayelsa State with the Federal Government. The call was made by the group’s convener, Wisdom Ikuli, who is also Diri’s Technical Adviser on Print Media, during a meeting in Yenagoa on Tuesday.
Ikuli emphasized that Bayelsa remains the only South-South state still controlled by the PDP and warned that the party is internally weakened by disputes and ongoing court cases that could undermine its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections. He described the situation as dominated by a few individuals who might pose electoral risks to the state’s political future.
Highlighting the marginalization of the Ijaw people who contribute over 65% of Nigeria’s oil wealth Ikuli argued that aligning with the APC federal government is critical for regaining political influence and access to key national positions. He stressed that the South is completing its eight-year power rotation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which has made significant appointments of Ijaw indigenes to strategic roles such as Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Oil Minister and Chief Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
The group plans to launch daily street rallies in Yenagoa to press Governor Diri to consider joining the APC, describing the defection as both non-negotiable and imperative for Bayelsa’s development. Ikuli further pointed to federal infrastructure projects like the Nembe-Brass Road upgrade and the proposed Agge Seaport as evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment to Bayelsa, urging the governor to demonstrate solidarity by realigning politically.
Recalling historical precedents, Ikuli noted that Bayelsa’s previous alignment with the PDP helped produce national leaders like former President Goodluck Jonathan. However, he lamented that current PDP dominance no longer guarantees political leverage, making defection to APC a strategic necessity for Bayelsa’s prosperity.
This move comes amid growing defections from the PDP to APC in the South-South, following similar exits by governors in neighboring states, signaling a shifting political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections. Governor Diri’s office has yet to officially confirm any plans for defection despite mounting pressure.