WorldStage– Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday formally received Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State into the fold of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor was received into the ruling party 19 days after he resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The event witnessed thousands of supporters of the APC and Diri, dressed in white t-shirts and colourful attire from all eight local government areas started trooping into the state capital as early as 8 am in the morning, defying the early morning downpour.
As of 10am, the 5,000-capacity Samson Siasia Stadium was full to capacity, with the crowd continuing to throng inside, prompting security operatives to stop further entry due to fear of a stampede.
Speaking at the welcome ceremony Shettima said, “This defection is not a Beyalsa defection, it is the Ijaw nation defecting to the APC.
Diri also revealed that he left the PDP because some ‘undertakers’ were bent on destroying the party, adding that he does not want his state “to be buried along with the PDP.”
He also said he won’t allow members of the Bayelsa State Assembly to be victims of the crisis rocking the PDP.
With his defection, the PDP’s political control is reduced to eight states.
The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, the Governor of Delta State, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governor of Ondo State, Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, Minister of Regional Development, Engineering Abubakar Momoh, attended the event.
