Senator Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa West has lambasted Governor Douye Diri's defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, accusing him and other exiters of fleeing the chaos they helped create.

Dickson, a former Bayelsa governor himself, aired the criticism Wednesday after Senate plenary, insisting Diri consulted him multiple times before resigning but offered no "compelling reason" for a second-term leader to jump ship. "I am where I have been... I don’t believe that Nigeria should be a one-party state," Dickson told reporters, vowing to stay put in the PDP despite its turmoil.

The Bayelsa governor's Wednesday cabinet announcement—citing "very obvious reasons"—marks the latest high-profile exit, following Enugu's Peter Mbah and shrinking the PDP's gubernatorial tally to eight from 13 post-2023. Diri's camp has stayed mum on specifics, but allies whisper of irreconcilable rifts with party brass and a bid for federal alignment ahead of 2027.

Dickson pinned the blame squarely on PDP governors and National Working Committee members for fostering the infighting that now prompts bailouts. "They are the ones now bailing out after creating the problem that they could not solve or refused to solve. It’s very sad... making Nigeria look small and making our country’s democracy look ridiculous," he said, warning the trend belittles pluralism in a diverse federation.

As a "soldier of democracy," Dickson distanced himself from godfatherism since leaving office, offering advice only when sought. He credited the PDP with empowering the Niger Delta—yielding vice-presidential, acting presidential and presidential bids for Ijaw figures—while doubting the APC's capacity for such inclusivity. "I am still standing in the PDP that gave my people... an opportunity... This other party cannot do that," he affirmed. "There must be opposition. A democracy without opposition ceases to be democracy."