Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has declared that he will not compel his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to join him in the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite mounting speculation of a deepening political rift within the state’s leadership.
Diri’s defection to the APC on November 3, without his deputy, has sparked intense rumours of a looming impeachment plot by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, where most lawmakers have also crossed over to the ruling party.
The controversy escalated when Ewhrudjakpo approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to halt any attempt by the Assembly to remove him from office for remaining loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Diri, who dumped the PDP on October 15 citing “obvious reasons,” made it clear that his deputy’s refusal to defect would not provoke a confrontation.
Speaking at the weekly state executive council meeting in Yenagoa on Wednesday, with his deputy seated beside him, Diri said he preferred dialogue to division. “As a matter of principle, I believe in engagement rather than confrontation; I will continue to discuss with my deputy,” he stated.
Admitting that the situation was politically awkward, the governor said he remained hopeful that ongoing discussions would yield a positive outcome. He revealed that Ewhrudjakpo had since withdrawn the court case after both men held private talks.
Diri called on Bayelsans to embrace unity and peace, insisting that politics must serve the purpose of development and not destruction. “I express our gratitude to the people of our state for the successful and well-attended Thanksgiving Day service. The spirit of oneness and love is what we should continue to exhibit. I would also like to thank the people for the mammoth crowd at the sports complex during our defection. I appreciate the leader of our party, President Bola Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima. I pledge our loyalty to continue to work for a better Nigeria, for the upliftment of the standard of living of our people,” Diri said.
Addressing speculation about his deputy’s loyalty, the governor added, “I do not intend to force people to join the APC but rather to appeal to them to see reason with me. I might have the power today, but not tomorrow. It is actually difficult for the governor to be on one side and the deputy on another. But we will continue to talk, and we might end up at the same party tomorrow. We must not heat up the polity. We are done with violence in Bayelsa State. We are brothers and we are one. Politics should be for the development of the state and not to fight one another.”
He also dismissed as fake news reports that armed men had arrived in the state, warning against the spread of panic and misinformation. Diri said security agencies had been put on alert to maintain peace, assuring residents that Bayelsa remains one of Nigeria’s most secure states.
The meeting also witnessed two special recognitions presented to the governor. Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, presented Bayelsa’s award as the “Best State in Health Insurance Service Delivery” by the Nigeria Governors Forum, while the Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Daniel Igali, delivered the “Distinguished Governor Award for Outstanding Support to SWAN and Contribution to Sports Development in Nigeria” from the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria.
