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Gov Diri finally defects to APC

Published

3 days ago

November 3, 2025

Advocate News Nigeria

Gov Diri and other APC governors during the event

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Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state in a move that signals a major shift in the state’s political landscape.

This followed his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15, 2025.

Diri, at a colourful ceremony held at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa, was received into APC fold by the party national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, alongside Vice President, Kashim Shettima, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, APC governors led Hope Uzodinma of Imo and other party chieftains from across the federation.

Speaking at the event, President Bola Tinubu represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima lauded the Bayelsa governor for identifying with the APC led Federal Government.

He said: “There are moments in the life of a nation where politics transcends partisanship when the call to service outweighs the colours of our sentiments and when leaders answers to something greater than their affiliation.. Today is one of those redemptive moments in the political history of our nation.

“Governor Diri, this gathering is a home coming party for you, we are here not mere ceremony of convenience but a celebration of your conviction. Yours is a story of a leader who has chosen the harder right over the easier wrong..Today you have shown us that Bayelsa has chosen the light of integration over the shadows of isolation.

“The APC the party of those who believed that progress can only be guaranteed when we stand together, when we answer the call of our people.

“Politics is about development, politics is beyond making noise, politics is beyond being in opposition. Governor Diri, we are proud of you, you have made the right decision, you have led with calm dignity, but beneath that calm has brought your commitment to development, unity and progress .

You have expanded roads to remote communities and assured them that they are not forgotten. You have built bridges where they are barriers, you have built hope where there was darkness and this is what its means to govern with empathy.

“From the Sagbama/Ekeremor highway to the Yenagoa/Oporoma Bridge, you have connected lives. From classrooms to clinics, you have proven that good governance is not about noise, but about impact.

“You are now part of the progressive family, a family that thinks and acts together. So we welcome you into this board to watch and support you as champions.You have already been one.

From the health reforms that give hope to the sick, to the schools that are openly gates of opportunity to thousands of Ijaw children, we are here to restore the confidence and dignity of those who have lost faith in government.

“President Bola Tinubu has shown as time and again that politics is not war. It is the art of building bridges across rivers of difference. And so, no one understands this metaphor more profoundly than a son of the creeks, who has built literal and political bridges across the waters of the Niger Delta.

“This is for us a political reunion with a progressive mind. You have always been a progressive. And here, in the presence of the number three citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I have a simple message for you from the President and from the Chairman. As for the APC Constitution, the Governor is the leader of the party in the state. What binds us together supersedes whatever that divides us. We are one party with a common destiny. And here in this gathering.”

Also speaking, national chairman of the APC, Professor Ntawe Yolwada thanked the governor and the people of Bayelsa for the bold move.

His words, “I want thank the people of Bayelsa State for taking this decision. Let me thank the people of Bayelsa for making a u turn in the right direction. The fishermen have spoken. The farmers have spoken. Ijaw Nation has spoken. The South South has spoken.

“The traders and workers have spoken in one voice that we are now APC. On behalf of the national working committee and millions of APC supporters across the country and the well wishes of the country across the world, we welcome the Governor of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri’ to our big family where there are enough mansions to accommodate everybody.

“Today Bayelsa State is APC. Bayelsa State is too critical for us to leave it to be disrupted.
We saw everything good you are in Bayelsa. We welcome you to the APC family.

“Today I give you the flag of APC as the leader of the party in bayelsa state. Anything concerning Bayelsa State the national working committee will contact Diri and we hold him responsible for anything concerning APC in the state. Today you take over as the leader of our party in the state.”

He added: “With this flag we want you to sweep out PDP and sweep all the votes to APC in 2027. We must have 100 per cent vote in Bayelsa.”

Responding, Governor Douye Diri said his decision to defect to APC was as a result of the crisis rocking the PDP and the leadership acumen of President Bola Tinubu

His words: “Fellow Bayelsans and dear citizens, on 15 October 2025, after much public speculation and debate, I announced my resignation of membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in accordance with the relevant protocols. Today I will explain that decision and speak about the future of our state.

“Nearly six years ago, by your kind choice and by divine providence, I was elected Governor of Bayelsa State on the PDP platform, and you honoured me with a second term. I thank Bayelsans for the privilege of serving you.

“Over time, the unity and common purpose that once sustained the party eroded. Despite our best efforts to reform and restore it, the internal dynamics made meaningful renewal increasingly difficult. That point is well documented.

“After wide consultations and careful consideration, we have today formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). This was a strategic, collaborative decision. While the justification for this decision may not be immediately apparent to some, you have my assurance that it was taken in the best interests of our people and for the accelerated development of the state.

“I wish to express my profound gratitude to the national leadership and membership of the APC across all strata of the party for warmly welcoming us into the fold. Your hospitality has been truly remarkable, and we are delighted to be part of this great family.

“Rest assured, we will work collaboratively with existing organs to strengthen the party for the serious work ahead, leveraging our collective strengths and goodwill to drive the party’s growth and success. Together, we can achieve important goals and take our party to greater heights.

“I am grateful for the leadership and accommodation of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am convinced that the fiscal and policy restructuring underway and the renewed focus on infrastructure and service delivery offer opportunities for the collective benefit of Nigerians. I pledge to continue to work constructively with the federal government and support President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

“There is a biblical verse about a friend who sticks closer than a brother. President Tinubu has shown himself a steadfast supporter of the Ijaw people and a friend to Bayelsa State. Permit me to give a few concrete examples.

“One of the Ijaw Nation’s cherished long‑standing demands is a coastal road. Under President Tinubu’s leadership, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project is moving from desire to reality, and Bayelsa stands to gain from improved connectivity and economic opportunity.”

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BREAKING: Nnamdi Kanu writes Trump, urges investigation of genocide against Igbos

Published

2 hours ago

November 6, 2025

Advocate News Nigeria

Detained IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu

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The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Nigeria urged US President Donald Trump to initiate an investigation into the “killings of Christians and Igbo people” in the southeast region.

Nnamdi Kanu, in a letter dated Nov. 6 and transmitted through his lawyer to the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, appealed to Trump to act on his statement that the US was “prepared to act militarily and cut aid if Nigeria fails to protect its Christian population.”

“You have seen the truth: Christians in Nigeria face an existential threat. I write to you now to reveal that this challenge affects the Igbo heartland, where Judeo-Christians continue to suffer hardship,” he wrote in the letter that was seen by Anadolu.

Kanu wants “a U.S.-led independent inquiry into the situation of Judeo-Christians in Eastern Nigeria, with full access to mass graves, military logs, and survivor testimonies.”

IPOB is seeking to establish a separate state of Biafra for the Igbo people in the southeast.

Kanu said his letter was prompted by Trump’s recent declaration that the US was prepared to act militarily and cut aid to Nigeria if the government failed to protect Christians from persecution.

He alleged that the persecution of Christians in Nigeria had extended beyond the northern region to the Igbo heartland, where, according to him, government forces have committed atrocities under the guise of counter-terrorism operations.

“Christians in Nigeria face an existential threat. I write to reveal that this genocide has metastasized into the Igbo heartland, where Judeo-Christians are being systematically exterminated,” Kanu stated.

The IPOB leader, who described his movement as a peaceful and non-violent civil rights organization, claimed to have survived four assassination attempts by state agents since 2015.

He also reiterated that his 2021 arrest and rendition from Kenya to Nigeria were illegal, citing court rulings in both countries and a 2022 United Nations opinion declaring his detention arbitrary.

Kanu listed a series of incidents which he said amounted to crimes against humanity, including the Nkpor Biafra Heroes Day killings (2016), Aba massacre (2016), Operation Python Dance II in Afaraukwu (2017), Obigbo killings (2020), and the Port Harcourt Trump solidarity rally (2017), alleging that hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed during these operations.

He accused the Nigerian military and security agencies of complicity in the killings and identified former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), and the current Director-General of the DSS, Yusuf Bichi, among those who should face international sanctions.

Kanu also appealed to Trump to support a U.S.-led congressional hearing and an internationally supervised referendum on self-determination for the Igbo people, describing it as “the only peaceful path to ending the cycle of violence.”

“Mr. President, history will judge us by what we do when genocide knocks. You have the power to stop a second Rwanda in Africa,” he wrote.

Kanu, who signed the letter as a “Prisoner of Conscience,” attached several documents to support his claims, including the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged him, United Nations and Amnesty International reports on human rights abuses, and the Kenyan High Court judgment condemning his rendition.

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BREAKING: PDP suspends Anyanwu, Bature, Legal Adviser

Published

5 days ago

November 1, 2025

Advocate News Nigeria

Senator Samuel Anyanwu

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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Saturday, suspended its National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, for alleged anti-party activities.

The National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and the Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, were also suspended.

The National Working Committee, NWC, took the decision at a meeting it held in Abuja on Saturday.

This is coming barely 24 hours after an Abuja Federal High Court stopped the forthcoming November 15 national elective convention of the party.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, explained that the affected officials committed several offences in breach of the PDP’s constitution.

According to a statement by the party, “National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National organizing Secretary, Umar Bature; National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, are suspended for one month and referred to the National Disciplinary Committee.

“During this period of the suspension, they cease to function in their respective capacities.

“In the case of the National Secretary, Pursuant to Section 36(2) of our Party Constitution as amended in 2017, the Deputy National Secretary, Hon. Arc. Setonji Koshoedo shall act as the National Secretary.

“In the case of the National Legal Adviser and the Deputy National Legal Adviser, the National Director of Legal Services is hereby directed to oversees the activities of the Department.”

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ISWAP plans fresh attacks in Ondo, Kogi —DSS

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2025

Advocate News Nigeria

ISWAP Terrorists

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The Department of State Services, DSS, has raised the alarm over an imminent terrorist attack on some communities in Ondo and Kogi states by the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP.

A confidential memo dated October 20, 2025, that was addressed to the Brigade Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery, Owena Cantonment, Akure, the security service warned that credible intelligence confirmed plans by the insurgents to launch coordinated assaults on several communities.

Signed by Hi Kana, Director of Security, DSS Ondo State Command, the memo, specifically listed Eriti Akoko and Oyin Akoko in Akoko North-West Local Government Area as well as Owo town in Owo Local Government Area, as potential targets.

The Secret Service warned that the terrorists had already commenced surveillance on soft targets in the affected areas and called on the military to heighten security operations to forestall any attack.““Intelligence confirmed plans by members of ISWAP to carry out coordinated attacks on communities in Ondo and Kogi states anytime soon.

“The level of security alertness across the identified communities should be immediately scaled up to prevent loss of lives and property.”

Recall that this security alert is coming three years after the June 2022, massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, where over 40 worshippers were killed by suspected ISWAP in cold blood during morning mass.

Meanwhile, a security meeting held on Tuesday with stakeholders from the two Police Area Commands in the Akoko region — Ikare and Iwaro-Oka, by the state police commissioner Adebowale Lawal, was said to have been summoned over the security alert.

Spokesperson of the Ondo Police Command, Ayanlade Olayinka said that the meeting is “in a renewed effort to prevent the breakdown of law and order, and in line with the proactive policing strategies of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun.

“The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, CP Adebowale Lawal, on Tuesday, convened a high-powered security meeting and community engagement session with stakeholders from the two Police Area Commands in the Akoko region — Ikare and Iwaro-Oka.

“The meeting, held at Ikare Akoko, aimed at consolidating existing security partnerships and fostering greater collaboration between the police and members of the public.

“In attendance were traditional rulers, senior police officers, leaders of the Fulani and Igbo communities, representatives of the NURTW, Okada Riders Association, Farmers’ Association, the Nigeria Forest Security Service, NFSS, Vigilante and Hunters Associations, and the Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC, led by its State Chairman, Ambassador Gabriel Ariyo.

“The interactive session strengthened mutual trust and understanding between the police and the community.

“Participants commended the Command’s efforts in maintaining peace and pledged continued support through actionable intelligence and cooperation to keep crime low across the State.

“Representatives of the farmers also assured the Command of timely and accurate information to aid its operations, while traditional rulers highlighted the importance of border communities adjoining Ekiti and Kogi States in curbing cross-border threats.

“Leaders of the Hausa-Fulani and Igbo communities, alongside other socio-economic groups, lauded the CP for his fairness, inclusivity, and people-oriented policing approach.

“They reaffirmed their commitment to information sharing and joint vigilance to protect lives and property.

“Police commissioner, Adebowale Lawal appreciated the stakeholders for their collaboration and commended the foot soldiers of the two Area Commands for their dedication and sacrifice in ensuring the safety of residents.

“Demonstrating his accessibility and leadership by example, the CP shared his contact number with attendees, urging them to reach out directly with credible information to support police operations.”