• “Now they’re all in APC”– Wike
• Opposition Party expresses disappointment, blames moles within

By Sodiq Adelakun

Nigeria’s political landscape shifted once again on Wednesday as Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), barely 24 hours after Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The twin exits mark a new low for the PDP, which now controls only eight states nationwide, while the APC’s dominance has expanded to 24. 

Governor Diri, who announced his resignation during an executive council meeting at the Bayelsa State Government House, said his decision followed extensive consultations.

According to him, “After extensive consultations, today, October 15, 2025, I wish to notify you that, in keeping with the extant protocols, I, Governor Douye Diri, do hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party.”

He did not reveal his next political destination but confirmed that the chairmen of all local government areas in the state would leave the PDP with him.

The governor’s decision was supported by 23 members of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, led by Speaker Abraham Ngobere. The deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, was absent but said to be on official assignment.

Until this latest exit, Bayelsa and Enugu were considered PDP strongholds for over two decades, having remained under the party’s banner since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

Nigerian NewsDirect reports that Governor Mbah’s defection to the APC on Tuesday came after a statewide broadcast in which he said his decision was driven by “the need to better serve the interests of the people.”

“This is not a betrayal; it is also not abandoning. It is about carrying the people’s mandate on a platform that will best serve them,” he told newsmen.

Their moves followed similar defections earlier in the year by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, both of whom joined the APC with their top aides and appointees.

With Diri and Mbah gone, the PDP now governs only eight states, Adamawa, Bauchi, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara, Oyo, Rivers, and Osun, a sharp decline from its former nationwide spread.

The PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, described the developments as “disappointing,” alleging internal sabotage.

“The PDP is utterly disappointed by those actions, having regard to what we know behind the scene. But having said that, people have a right to decide what they want to do; the consequences can follow,” Ologunagba said during an appearance on Channels Television.

He admitted that the party was battling internal elements undermining its progress but insisted that the planned national convention in Ibadan next month would help “rejuvenate and reposition” the party for future elections.

“There are some people within our fold that continue to undermine the party and its progress. We recognise that, but we are dealing with that,” he added.

In the same vein, The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has finally reacted to the recent wave of defections by governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). 

Speaking on Wednesday during the flag-off of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) from Ring Road 1 to Ring Road 2 in Abuja, Wike said it was ironic that those who once criticised him for working with President Bola Tinubu were now joining the ruling party in droves.

“I have been watching on television and social media, those who accused me of destabilising the PDP and working for APC, all of them are now in APC.
If it is true I worked for APC, then they should commend me, not condemn me. It means I did a good job for them,” he said.

Wike’s remarks came just 24 hours after Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State defected to the APC, followed by Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, who officially resigned from the PDP on Wednesday.

The FCT Minister reaffirmed his loyalty to President Tinubu, describing his administration as “visionary” and crediting the president’s policies  particularly the removal of fuel subsidy  for improving the financial strength of states and the FCT.

“I was a governor for eight years, and I know what it meant to run around banks to borrow money for projects and even to pay salaries. But today, by the decisive leadership of Mr President, banks are now the ones running after states. Salaries are being paid, projects are being executed, and no governor is talking about leaving huge debts for successors. That is visionary leadership,” Wike said.