President Bola Tinubu has officially welcomed Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri into the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing his defection as a symbol of progress and unity.
Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the President at the ceremony on Monday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Tinubu praised Diri’s leadership style and commitment to development.
“The All Progressives Congress is a party of those who believe that progress can only be guaranteed when we stand together.
“Governor Douye Diri, your story mirrors that of your people. Politics is about development, not noise or opposition.
“We are mightily proud of you. You have made the right decision,” he said.
The President commended Diri for promoting peace and unity through infrastructural growth across the state.
“You have led with calm dignity, yet with deep commitment to development and peace. You have expanded roads to remote communities, built bridges where there were barriers, and brought light where there was darkness. This is what it means to govern with empathy,” Tinubu told the governor.
He described Diri’s defection as “a homecoming to the progressive family”.
Addressing the gathering, the governor said, “I am not a bossy type, I have come to unite us so that we can work together and produce 99 per-cent result in Bayelsa come 2027. I don’t know the opposition from the other side.”
He also recalled the love and support he received from the APC since he decided to switch camps.