What happens when the ship you’re on begins to leak — and the crew is too busy fighting over who gets to steer? In Nigeria’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP), that scenario is no longer metaphorical. It’s the daily reality.
Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri has finally pulled the plug — announcing his exit from the PDP, in a move that sent shockwaves from Yenagoa to Abuja. It’s a political earthquake for a party that, until recently, counted itself as the pillar of Nigeria’s opposition. Now, that pillar is showing serious cracks.
“I Quit” — Diri Drops the Bomb
Governor Diri made his long-speculated decision official during an expanded State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, declaring: “After extensive consultation, today the 15th day of October 2025, I hereby resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
No euphemisms. No ambiguity. Just cold, calculated clarity.
Surrounded by the Speaker of the State Assembly, his deputy, and a wave of lawmakers from the PDP, APGA, and APC, Diri made it clear — he’s not going solo. In fact, 21 of the 24 state lawmakers are following him. This wasn’t just a resignation — it was a strategic evacuation.
Dickson Fires Back: “There Was No Compelling Reason”
But not everyone is cheering.
Senator Seriake Dickson, former Governor of Bayelsa and PDP stalwart, addressed a press conference in Abuja with a tone of disbelief — and disappointment.
“He consulted me several times,” Dickson revealed. “But I wasn’t convinced. There’s no compelling reason for a second-term governor to defect.”
For Dickson, the defections — Diri’s included — are more than political strategy. They’re symptoms of a deeper malaise.
“Everyone is running to the ruling party. You don’t know what they’re pursuing… or what’s pursuing them,” he quipped, warning that Nigeria’s multiparty democracy is in danger of becoming a one-party state.
Dickson reaffirmed his loyalty to the PDP, saying the party gave the Ijaw people and the Niger Delta national visibility — a legacy worth fighting for.
“Democracy without opposition becomes dictatorship,” he warned. “If we don’t save the PDP, we lose more than a party — we lose balance.”
Meanwhile in Abuja… Chaos in the Courtroom
As Bayelsa was losing its PDP Governor, Enugu’s Peter Mbah had already joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) — flanked by his predecessor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and a political convoy of lawmakers and local officials.
But that wasn’t even the biggest drama of Tuesday.
In a scene straight out of a political thriller same Tuesday, PDP’s National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), got into a full-blown turf war in Federal High Court, Abuja — in front of a stunned judge and packed courtroom.
Both men came with different lawyers for the same case — a suit aiming to halt PDP’s upcoming November national convention.
The courtroom descended into chaos.
“Put your house in order,” Justice James Omotosho ordered, suspending proceedings for 10 minutes — to no avail.
When the dust settled, the judge adjourned until October 16, while officially adding new defendants to the mix. But the damage was already done: PDP’s dirty laundry was now flapping in the judicial wind.
Twin Earthquakes: Diri and Mbah
Two governors in two days. Both defectors. Both exits loaded with symbolism and warning signs.
Mbah’s parting shot? A scathing critique:
“The South-East has been loyal to the PDP, but our voices were disregarded,” he said. “I’ve found in President Tinubu a partner in purpose.”
So… What’s Next for the PDP?
With defections mounting and internal leadership brawls spilling into the public eye, the PDP finds itself in existential crisis.
A political party once synonymous with Nigerian democracy is now struggling to define its future — or even who speaks for it.
If Diri’s departure is a symptom, then the courtroom chaos is the diagnosis: an opposition party turning on itself at a critical moment in the country’s political history.
As 2027 approaches, one question looms large:
Can the PDP survive — or is it becoming its own worst enemy?
