Governor Douye Diri Defects to APC with 23 Lawmakers, Deepening PDP Collapse in the South-South

In a stunning political realignment, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), joining 23 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in what analysts describe as a crippling blow to the opposition party’s structure in the Niger Delta.

The defection, confirmed by Vanguard, Channels TV, and other major outlets on October 15, 2025, marks another high-profile loss for the PDP barely 48 hours after Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah made a similar switch.

Governor Diri, whose administration has been one of the PDP’s strongest strongholds in the South-South, cited the need for “closer collaboration with the federal government to accelerate development in Bayelsa” as his reason for crossing over.

Political observers, however, interpret the move as part of a calculated realignment that further consolidates APC’s dominance across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. With Diri’s defection, the ruling party now controls an overwhelming majority of state governments — a shift that could redefine the power map ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Bayelsa switch also underscores a widening identity crisis within the PDP, already weakened by internal fractures and defections. Once Nigeria’s dominant political force, the PDP has seen its influence eroded across key regions, with analysts warning that the recent wave of exits could mark the party’s transition from national opposition to political irrelevance.

Online reactions have been swift and charged. On X (formerly Twitter), users voiced deep concern over Nigeria’s slide toward one-party dominance, with trending hashtags like #PDPMeltdown and #OnePartyNigeria capturing public anxiety. “This is not democracy anymore — it’s absorption by power,” one user lamented, while another noted, “APC is playing long-term chess, and PDP is still arguing about who should be kingmaker.”

Meanwhile, within Bayelsa, reactions remain mixed. Some residents welcomed the defection as a chance for improved federal synergy and potential project funding, while others described it as a betrayal of political trust and a reflection of Nigeria’s opportunistic political culture.

With the defection of two sitting governors — Mbah in Enugu and Diri in Bayelsa — within days, APC’s political machinery appears to be operating with precision, absorbing opposition strongholds in a sweeping southern strategy. As the 2027 elections draw nearer, the question now gripping Nigeria’s political sphere is not whether the APC can hold power — but whether any credible opposition will remain to challenge it.

— BusterBlog.com | Politics & Power Moves