Federal and state lawmakers of Ijaw extraction from the Niger Delta region have publicly thrown their weight behind the defection of the Douye Diri-led Bayelsa State government to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and have praised the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu by oil-magnate and Ijaw leader Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo).
The event took place at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa, where lawmakers from Ondo and Delta States were joined by prominent Ijaw political figures. Hon. Julius Gbabojor Pondi and Speaker Dennis Emomotimi Guwor led the gathering of Ijaw federal and state legislators. “Governor Diri’s move is about aligning Bayelsa with the centre and positioning the Ijaw Nation for prominence,” Pondi said in his address. He added that Tompolo’s public support for President Tinubu had “completed the political circle” for the Ijaw people.
Governor Diri, speaking at the event, said his defection was “for Bayelsa’s growth and Ijaw unity,” and emphasised that the decision followed broad consultations with elders and legislators. The lawmakers committed themselves to mobilising for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, highlighting the shift as signalling a new power dynamic in Niger Delta politics
