Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, is reportedly delaying his planned defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress as internal negotiations among key party leaders, including former Governor Timipre Sylva and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Heineken Lokpobiri, continue over control of the party structure in the state.

The development has heightened political tension in Bayelsa, with the Peoples Democratic Party insisting that Diri’s exit amounts to a betrayal of the mandate on which he was elected, while the APC works behind the scenes to finalise his reception plans in Yenagoa.

However, barely a week after Diri, resigned from the PDP, top chieftains of the APC have hinted that his defection to the ruling party may be formalised as early as next week.

Although no official date has been fixed, APC leaders confirmed that discussions with Diri were “well advanced,” dispelling speculations that opposition from party strongmen in Bayelsa, including Sylva and Lokpobiri, might frustrate the move.

Deputy Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, said the party was open to Diri’s joining, stressing that the APC “is a large family” that welcomes any Nigerian who believes in its vision and leadership.

“It is for him to decide. The APC is a large family and does not segregate. What I mean is that it is open to Nigerians of age, who believe in the vision of the APC, its manifesto and the leadership of the party and of the country.

“If anybody wants to identify with the APC, he knows the step to take,” Duru said.

Addressing claims that Sylva and Lokpobiri were uneasy about Diri’s possible entry, Duru said both men remained loyal party stalwarts who had contributed immensely to strengthening the APC in Bayelsa.

“These are two leaders of the party in Bayelsa and we are pleased with them. They have contributed immeasurably to building the party in the state and they are faithful party men,” he added.

He explained that internal reconciliation and consensus-building were natural in politics, noting that any disagreements would eventually give way to the party’s collective interest.

APC vice chairman for the South-East, Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, went further to confirm that Diri’s defection plan was already concluded but delayed by internal challenges involving his deputy governor and former President Goodluck Jonathan’s political camp.

“Yes, I know that Diri is coming to APC but the challenges he is facing with his deputy governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, and of course Jonathan has not made him to make any open statement about his defection,” Arodiogbu said.

“It would have happened about three months ago, but his deputy said he’s not moving with him. He looked at the former governor and also has some reluctance. But it’s conclusive that he’s coming over to us,” he added.

Arodiogbu disclosed that the leadership of the APC was only waiting to agree on a date to receive Diri in Yenagoa, hinting that the event “could happen possibly next week.”Diri’s resignation from the PDP has left Bayelsa’s political scene unsettled. Before stepping down, rumours were rife that the governor planned to join the APC — following in the footsteps of his counterparts in Akwa Ibom and Delta states.

Last week, his joint appearances with former President Jonathan at two events in Yenagoa — the commissioning of Best Western Plus Hotel and the birthday of former Senator Emmanuel Paulker — fuelled speculation of an ongoing alignment between the two.

However, Diri’s media aides have remained tight-lipped about his next political destination.

The Director General, New Media, Dr. Kolawole Oredipe, denied any political linkage between Diri’s resignation and Jonathan, insisting that “the governor only waited to receive the former President as a mark of respect.”

Insiders within the Bayelsa APC told The PUNCH that negotiations with Sylva and Lokpobiri were still ongoing to ensure a smooth landing for Diri.

There are also indications that the current APC state executive might be dissolved and replaced by a caretaker committee to pave the way for Diri’s emergence as party leader in the state.

Meanwhile, a former National Legal Adviser of the PDP, Mark Jacob, called on Governor Diri to vacate office, arguing that his resignation from the party without joining another renders his governorship “constitutionally void.”

“Without the PDP, Governor Diri would not have contested the election at all. The people of Bayelsa have the right to question his continued occupation of that office because they are the ones who voted,” Jacob said in an interview with ARISE News.

He decried what he described as the “erosion of party discipline” in Nigeria, warning that the judiciary’s failure to enforce anti-defection laws had emboldened politicians to switch parties at will.

“Politicians move freely from one party to another without consequences. Nobody seems able to control the political class anymore,” he lamented.

For now, all eyes are on Yenagoa, where the next few days may determine whether Douye Diri’s political gamble ushers in a new alliance with the APC — or triggers a fresh round of political turbulence in Bayelsa State. (Punch)