Okonkwo urges INEC to declare Diri’s seat vacant as Bayelsa LG chairmen, lawmakers back govr’s PDP exit
By Obinna Uballa
Following the resignation of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nollywood actor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the governor’s seat vacant.
Diri announced his resignation from the PDP on Wednesday during an expanded State Executive Council meeting at Government House, Yenagoa, attended by the Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere; the deputy, Michael Ogbere; and several lawmakers.
According to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, the governor said his decision followed “extensive consultations” with state leaders and was taken for “obvious reasons,” though he did not elaborate. He thanked his supporters for their loyalty and urged them to continue backing his administration as he “builds a strong and vibrant Bayelsa.”
The deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, was notably absent from the meeting, and Diri made no mention of his resignation.
The move immediately triggered a wave of defections across the state. All eight local government chairmen in Bayelsa announced their resignation from the PDP and declared support for the governor’s decision.
Speaking on behalf of the chairmen during a press conference at the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Secretariat in Yenagoa, the Chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, Lelei Isaac, said the PDP’s prolonged internal crisis informed their decision to leave.
“We were elected on the platform of the PDP, but today, we are aware that our leader, the Governor of Bayelsa State, has formally resigned his membership of the party. As chairmen, vice chairmen, councillors, and appointees of the local government areas, we support the decision of our governor, we stand with him, and consequently, we hereby resign our membership of the PDP,” Isaac stated.
Other chairmen at the briefing included David Alagoa (Nembe), Target Segibo (Southern Ijaw), Bulodisiye Ndiwari (Yenagoa), Isaac Onniye (Ekeremor), and Golden Jeremiah (Ogbia). The chairmen of Sagbama and Brass LGAs, Alice Tangi and Lucky Febo, were absent.
Meanwhile, Okonkwo has urged INEC to declare Diri’s seat vacant, arguing that by resigning from the PDP without joining another political party, the governor has automatically lost his constitutional qualification to hold office.
In a post on his Instagram page Wednesday night, Okonkwo cited Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which states that a person shall be qualified for election as governor if he is “a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party.”
He wrote, “Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has just vacated his seat as governor by resigning from the PDP and not belonging to any party. The law is clear — an elected member of government must be a member of a political party. You can defect from one party to another, but you cannot be partyless at any point.”
Okonkwo called on INEC to act swiftly by declaring the governorship seat vacant and conducting a fresh election in Bayelsa within 90 days.
Diri’s resignation and the wave of defections have deepened the crisis within the opposition PDP, which has in recent weeks suffered similar losses in Enugu, where Governor Peter Mbah also defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
