Edwin Poots switching constituencies to South Belfast may make sense logically, but it also places in sharp focus the DUP's internal problems.
His seat in Lagan Valley was no longer safe with party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and former First Minister Paul Givan both on the ticket in the same area.
And his attempt to move to South Down failed after the DUP instead nominated Diane Forsythe as the party's candidate.
Read more: Christopher Stalford to be replaced by Edwin Poots in South Belfast, DUP leader announces
It left Mr Poots in a precarious position just months after achieving his lifelong ambition of becoming DUP leader, albeit only holding the post for a brief and chaotic period.
A senior figure with many years of ministerial experience, it would be a considerable blow to the DUP if Mr Poots missed out in May's Assembly election.
The sudden death of DUP MLA Christopher Stalford presented a vacancy in South Belfast.
Although it was in the absolute worst of circumstances, Mr Poots moving to the constituency ended an electoral dilemma for the party.
It is unusual for MLAs to switch constituencies but it has happened on other occasions.
Former DUP Education Minister Peter Weir moved in 2017 from North Down to Strangford. Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey was an MLA for South Belfast before switching to the west of the city.
However, Mr Poots' shuffling around for a safe seat will still be seen by many as an act of desperation.
Party figures previously talked up the prospect of winning three seats in Lagan Valley where they currently hold two. Mr Poots abandoning the constituency will be seen as an admission that this is unlikely.
Having failed to gain the party nomination for South Down, he has opted for South Belfast.
Mr Poots is expected to comfortably retain the seat for the DUP among its core vote. The party ran two candidates in the last Assembly election in 2017 and this time is expected to field just one.
But the Brexit-backing Agriculture Minister is moving from a constituency that voted Leave in the EU referendum to an area which had one of the highest Remain votes in Northern Ireland in 2016.
This is a constituency where in 2019's Westminster election, a landslide of voters coalesced behind the SDLP's Claire Hanna to oust DUP Brexiteer Emma Little-Pengelly.
Moving Mr Poots to South Belfast will do nothing to help broaden the DUP's appeal in the constituency.
The switch is another sign of the continuing turmoil within the DUP ever since the coup last year against Arlene Foster's leadership.
While other parties have announced most of their election candidates, the DUP has yet to ratify its choices - with less than eight weeks until polling day.
While other parties are holding pre-election conferences to drum up publicity, the DUP's tentative plans to hold a conference at the end of February were scrapped.
The DUP conference, which was cancelled before Mr Stalford's death, has been pushed back until the autumn.
And while other parties are presenting a united front, the DUP has been facing criticism from independent MLA Alex Easton who quit the party last year over its leadership tensions.
The North Down MLA claimed Sir Jeffrey had made clear the DUP would field two candidates to run against him in the Stormont election - and a high-profile candidate if he "dared" to stand for Westminster.
"I felt that was a threat at the time and if anything reaffirmed my decision to leave," he told the BBC.
Other Stormont parties may at the moment be pulling their punches over Mr Poots' move due to their respect for Mr Stalford and sympathy for his family.
But as the election heats up, expect the DUP's parachuting of Mr Poots into South Belfast to face further scrutiny.
Read more: Christopher Stalford to be replaced by Edwin Poots in South Belfast, DUP leader announces
Read more: Christopher Stalford: MLAs pay tribute at Stormont Assembly
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