The Senator representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, Senator Emmanuel Dukubo, has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), becoming the third Niger Delta senator to switch allegiance to the ruling party in the past six months.
The defection, announced at a rally in Yenagoa attended by thousands of supporters, was attributed to what the senator described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP and his desire to align with the federal government development agenda for the Niger Delta.
Political analysts in Bayelsa are divided on the significance of the move. Some see it as a strategic positioning ahead of the 2027 governorship election, while others view it as a signal that the APC is making serious inroads into traditional PDP strongholds in the South-South region.
The PDP in Bayelsa condemned the defection as a betrayal of the mandate of the people, arguing that Senator Dukubo was elected on a PDP platform and has no legal basis to switch parties without resigning his seat.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been petitioned by the PDP to declare the senatorial seat vacant, citing Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires a senator to resign their seat upon defecting from the party under which they were elected unless the party has undergone a division or merger.
