After weeks of political limbo following his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri will officially defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.

According to sources, President Bola Tinubu, APC governors, and members of the party’s national working committee (NWC) are scheduled to formally receive Diri into the ruling party.

The governor’s move concludes a period of discreet negotiations after he resigned from the PDP on October 15. Sources familiar with the situation revealed that the delay in his formal defection was strategic, aimed at ensuring the “seamless integration of the PDP bloc into the APC’s Bayelsa structure” and to “prevent internal friction” ahead of the 2027 elections.

This defection marks one of the most significant political realignments in the south-south since 2023, signaling the APC’s renewed push to expand its base in the oil-rich region, which has historically been a PDP stronghold.

The PDP has been reeling from a wave of high-profile defections in recent months, which has significantly weakened its influence. The exodus is not limited to the national assembly; this year alone, the party has lost at least four sitting governors—Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu), and now Douye Diri (Bayelsa).