Politics
How Diri Rejects $10,000 Ritual Offer for Political Ambition
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has made a shocking revelation about his journey to the governor’s seat. Speaking at the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area (KOLGA) Annual Day of Thanksgiving in his hometown of Sampou,
Governor Diri shared how he rejected an offer to perform rituals to facilitate his political ambition, despite paying $10,000 for the expenses of marabouts brought in from Senegal ¹.
According to Governor Diri, a senior figure had invited him to Abuja in 2020, urging him to perform spiritual sacrifices to ensure his governorship. However, Diri’s faith in God wouldn’t allow him to go through with the rituals. “I declined because my faith in God wouldn’t allow it,” he said. “The man demanded a refund of the $10,000 spent on bringing them, which I paid, but I put my trust solely in God.”
Governor Diri’s emergence as governor was not without its challenges. Initially declared the loser in the 2019 election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he pursued legal action against the results and was ultimately declared the winner by the Supreme Court.
Diri emphasized the importance of politicians prioritizing their faith in God rather than seeking shortcuts. “My story is proof that God is always faithful. Politicians should learn to trust Him rather than man,” he stated.
The governor also commended KOLGA for institutionalizing the Thanksgiving event and lauded the region’s growth. Apostle David Zilly Aggrey, the program’s convener, praised Diri’s leadership and urged the people to reflect on the region’s transformation.
In his closing remarks, Governor Diri called for civility in politics, emphasizing that leadership is ordained by God. “Politics should not harm anyone. God determines who rises to greatness, and we must acknowledge His authority,” he said.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas has warned that wealthy individuals are turning political parties into personal investments, undermining the democratic process.
Speaking at a technical workshop on the Political Parties Bill (HB1862) in Abuja, Abbas highlighted the absence of ideological foundations in Nigerian political parties, describing them as vehicles for power control rather than democratic institutions.
The workshop, organised by Yiaga Africa and The Kukah Centre with funding from the European Union, focused on addressing gaps in political party regulation.
Represented by Rt. Ishaya David Lalu, Abbas stressed that democracy cannot thrive without internal democratic processes for candidate selection.
“In Nigeria, political parties are not founded on any principle or ideology,” he said, noting that they often serve as platforms for power-sharing among elites rather than promoting public interest.
The proposed Political Parties Bill aims to enhance transparency and accountability by establishing an independent body to regulate party activities, including campaign financing.
Abbas argued that such measures would curb the influence of “moneybags” who hijack parties or impose candidates during elections.
He cited the United States’ Federal Election Commission and the United Kingdom’s Electoral Commission as models for effective regulation, contrasting them with Nigeria’s current system, where the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) lacks robust legislative backing to oversee party funding.
In his welcome remarks,Hon. Zakari Dauda Nyampa, Chairman of the House Committee on Political Matters, echoed Abbas’ concerns, noting that unregulated primaries often lead to crises within parties.
“This bill is key to ensuring accountability, transparency, and proper regulation of political party funding,” he said, underscoring its importance for Nigeria’s evolving democracy.
In his goodwill message,Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, emphasised Nigeria’s strategic importance in African politics, warning that weak political parties undermine democracy.
“Our parties are built around individuals, not institutions, making them easily captured,” Itodo said, advocating for stronger systems to ensure ideological coherence and public participation.
Also at the event,Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), called for greater public engagement with the bill, noting that it has yet to be uploaded online for scrutiny.
He stressed the need for stakeholders to thoroughly assess the legislation to ensure it reflects citizens’ aspirations. IPAC plans to convene a General Assembly to discuss the bill and present its position to the National Assembly.
On his part ,Fr. Atta Barkindo, Executive Director of The Kukah Centre, described the bill as a timely opportunity to strengthen internal democracy and institutionalise overdue reforms.
“The quality of political party operations directly impacts the integrity of our elections,” he said.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has urged all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prioritise the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027 over their personal political ambitions.
Keyamo emphasised that Tinubu’s second term is essential to complete the reforms he has initiated in governance.
“Every single APC member in Nigeria today should be concentrating on the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu irrespective of whether it affects your personal interest or not because he does need a second term to fully finish up all these reforms,” Keyamo said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
The Minister reckoned that “it will be tragic for any government to come in 2027 and stop all these reforms,” adding that “This is what has happened in the past when you had all the inchoate policies that were implemented.”
Following the recent defection of Sheriff Oborevwori, the governor of Delta State — Keyamo’s home state — to the APC, the Minister ceded the party’s leadership in the state to him.
Keyamo stated that such sacrifices are necessary to strengthen the APC and improve President Tinubu’s chances of re-election in 2027.
“Whether I have to make sacrifices like yesterday where we surrendered (party leadership in Delta), it is all irrelevant so long as we are strengthening APC the more for the re-election of Mr President.
“I don’t care whether it affects me, I don’t care whether I lose out politically, Mr President must be elected,” he said.
‘PDP Has Lost Its Soul In Delta’
Keyamo said the PDP has lost its soul in Delta State, with the defection of Oborevwori to the APC.
He explained that Delta was one of the major funders of the PDP, adding that the defection of the governor was one of the major boosts for the APC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Keyamo said, “The PDP knows that they have lost something like their soul. Delta was like the soul of the PDP. Delta was one of the major funders of the PDP; they have lost it.”
….”You are a progressive governor,” Ganduje welcomes Oborevwori
… Delta must be connected to Abuja-says Okowa
In a major twist to political permutations ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has officially joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
At a ceremony attended by a mammoth crowd at the Cenotaph in Asaba on Monday, the Delta capital, Oborevwori, Okowa, and others in the oil-rich state were received into the APC, days after they announced their decision to leave the PDP.
The defectors were officially received into the party by chieftains of the ruling APC, including Vice President Kashim Shettima; the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; Senator Adams Oshiomhole; Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is the chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, among other political bigwigs.
At the event, the Delta governor described the decision as historic. Oborevwori said the move to the APC was borne out of the desire to get the best for the South-South state.
“What you have seen here today is a movement, not a defection. We have consulted stakeholders at all levels. Mr President has shown us love, “Oborevwori, who was a former speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, said during the ceremony on Monday.
The governor said the decision to join the APC was made after consultations with stakeholders in the oil-rich state and based on President Bola Tinubu’s love for Delta.
“We cannot face him in 2027 to work against him. When you consult widely, you can see that the love is organic,” the governor argued.
“All our members in the Delta State House of Assembly have agreed to defect. The state exco, council chairmen, councillors, LG chairmen, and others are all moving to the APC,” Oborevwori noted.
‘Bold, Patriotic, Well-Intentioned Move’
The collapse of the PDP structure in Delta came as a rude shock to millions of Nigerians. That move ended the main opposition party’s 26-year hold on the state, adding a fresh layer of intrigue ahead of the next election. Okowa was the PDP vice presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.
That defection from one of the traditional strongholds of the PDP has continued to stir debates among Nigerians and analysts alike.
The PDP said it was shocked by the defection but was not worried about the impact of the political move.
During the official reception of the defectors, Okowa re-echoed Oborevwori’s reason for the collapse of the PDP structure. The former lawmaker said the “bold” decision was in the “best interest of our people”.
“Today is a great day for us in Delta State. We defected in the best interest of our people,” Okowa, who is also a former commissioner, told the crowd of supporters and other political topshots.
“It was not about me or the governor, but the fact that there is a need for us to connect to Abuja. This is a bold, patriotic, and well-intentioned move.”
Shettima, who was leading the APC delegation at the ceremony, welcomed the new members into the party.
He said the defection is a testament to the progressive ideals of the Governor Oberevwori and his team in Delta State.
Vice President Shettima described the decamping as a tsunami and an unimaginable feat.
“This is a political tsunami of unimaginable proportions that has never happened in the history of the South-South sub-region and the history of Nigeria,” he said.