Thursday, November 13, 2025 - Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Wednesday, said he won’t compel his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to join him in the All Progressives Congress (APC), but will rather keep appealing for him to be in the same party.
Gov. Diri, during the weekly state executive council meeting
in Government House, Yenagoa, with Ewhrudjakpo also present, said as a matter
of principle, he believes in engagement rather than confrontation and that he
would continue to discuss with his deputy.
Diri, who said it is difficult for both of them to be in
different political parties, expressed the optimism that ongoing engagements
with his deputy would yield positive results.
He noted, “Let me address an issue that had been a subject
of speculation in the media. 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 in
the same party tomorrow.
He further disclosed that the case filed by Ewhrudjakpo at a
Federal High Court in Abuja to halt a purported impeachment plan had been
discontinued after they discussed it.
He urged people of the state to love one another and see
politics as a means to bring development and not to pull others down.
His words: “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 keep exhibiting.
“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.
“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.”
On the rumour of the arrival in the state of armed men from
a part of the country, Governor Diri dispelled it as fake news.
He however assured that security agencies have been put on
notice to check any threat in any part of the state.
He reaffirmed Bayelsa as one of the most secured states in
the country and urged the people to go about their businesses and report
security issues to the relevant agencies rather than rushing to post falsehood
on social media.
At the meeting, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa
Brisibe, presented to the governor the recognition of Bayelsa as the “Best
State in Health Insurance Service Delivery” by the Nigeria Governors Forum
while his counterpart in the Ministry of Sports, Dr. Daniel Igali, also
presented a “Distinguished Governor Award for Outstanding Support to SWAN and
Contribution to Sports Development In Nigeria” from the Sports Writers
Association of Nigeria.
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