Reliable insiders disclosed that President Bola Tinubu, along with several APC governors and members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), will be on hand to formally receive Diri into the ruling party.
Diri, who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15, has reportedly been in discreet talks with top APC figures to conclude arrangements for his defection.
According to a party source, the delay in the formal announcement was to ensure the smooth integration of the PDP bloc into the APC’s Bayelsa structure and avoid internal conflicts ahead of the 2027 elections.
Observers describe Diri’s move as one of the most significant political realignments in the South-South region since 2023, reflecting APC’s renewed push to strengthen its foothold in the oil-rich zone traditionally controlled by the PDP.
The PDP has recently suffered a series of high-profile defections, including several lawmakers and state governors. So far this year, the party has lost Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu), and now Diri (Bayelsa).
The wave of departures has reduced the PDP’s governorship count to eight, with speculations rife that Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, might be the next to join the APC.
