Defection To APC: Governor Opens Up On Crises With Deputy

<p>Defection To APC<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has opened up on the brewing crises between he and the deputy governor of the State&comma; Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo&comma; 60&comma; has been serving as the deputy governor of Bayelsa State since 2020&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;He was the senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District from 2019 to 2020 in the 9th National Assembly before he was elected as Deputy Governor alongside Douye Diri&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They were both re elected in 2024 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party&comma; PDP&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;However&comma; due to current political realignment&comma; governor Diri formally joined the ruling All Progressives Congress&comma; APC on October 15 citing personal reasons&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>On November 3&comma; 2025&comma; he was formally received into the party in an elaborate ceremonies at the State capital&comma; Yenagao in which national leaders of APC were in attendance&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Deputy governor <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;google&period;com">Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo<&sol;a> stayed back in PDP and refused to join his boss in APC&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>That created tension in the state as impeachment moves were made against Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Speaking on the crises Governor Diri said he will not compel his deputy&comma; Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo&comma; to join him in the All Progressives Congress &lpar;APC&rpar;&comma;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He stated this during the weekly State Executive Council meeting at Government House&comma; Yenagoa&comma; on Wednesday&comma; with Ewhrudjakpo in attendance&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The governor explained that as a matter of principle&comma; he prefers dialogue to confrontation and will continue to engage his deputy in discussions&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It is difficult for the governor to be on one side and the deputy on another&comma;” Diri said&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;But we will continue to talk&comma; and we might end up in the same party tomorrow&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He revealed that the case filed by Ewhrudjakpo at a Federal High Court in Abuja to stop a purported impeachment process had been discontinued following their discussions&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I do not intend to force anyone to join the APC but to appeal to them to see reason with me&period; I might have the power today but not tomorrow&period; We must not heat up the polity&period; We are brothers and one people&period; Politics should be about development&comma; not division&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<figure id&equals;"attachment&lowbar;22699" aria-describedby&equals;"caption-attachment-22699" style&equals;"width&colon; 232px" class&equals;"wp-caption alignnone"><img class&equals;"size-medium wp-image-22699" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2023&sol;10&sol;bayelsa-e1750439367317-232x300&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Defection To APC&colon; Governor Opens Up On Crises With Deputy" width&equals;"232" height&equals;"300" &sol;><figcaption id&equals;"caption-attachment-22699" class&equals;"wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Gov Diri<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;