Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has dismissed rumours that he plans to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting he remains a loyal member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking at his hometown of Sampou during a visit by federal lawmaker Rodney Ambaiowei and other stakeholders, Diri said the decision to switch parties—if it ever comes—would be made in consultation with his people.

“If there has to be any movement, you are the ones who will advise me,” he said, emphasizing that the interests of Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation would always come first.

The rumours followed his recent attendance at the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway inauguration. Diri said he went to show appreciation for Bayelsa’s inclusion in the federal project and also used the opportunity to correct a map that wrongly left out Bayelsa and Edo from the coastal road route.

He acknowledged that comments made by Minister of Works Dave Umahi at the event—where Diri was praised for being “progressive”—sparked the defection speculations.

“That attention gave the impression that a deal had been done,” the governor said, but stressed that development for Bayelsa was his only focus.

Diri urged citizens not to get carried away by social media rumours, assuring them that any political decisions would be transparent and in their collective interest.