Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and supporters of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike are at odds over a planned rally in support of Wike and President Bola Tinubu, along with the inauguration of a political group in Bayelsa.
Governor Diri has expressed concerns that the rally, scheduled for April 12, could heighten political tensions and lead to unrest in the state.
“Holding such an event when political tensions are already high in Rivers State could trigger unrest in Bayelsa,” Diri warned. “Any attempt to import the Rivers crisis here will be strongly resisted. I urge security agencies, parents, and traditional rulers to discourage their wards from being used to cause trouble.”
Diri also accused a faction within the Bayelsa Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), allegedly linked to a former governor, of attempting to create instability in the state.
“We have an individual in our party who has formed a parallel PDP structure in Bayelsa, working alongside an ex-governor. He was part of the discredited PDP South-South zonal congress, which was rejected by our National Working Committee,” Diri said. “Bayelsa is the heart of the Ijaw nation. We will not allow faceless groups to disrupt our peace.”
However, rally organizer George Turnah refuted Diri’s concerns, insisting that the event is solely to show support for President Tinubu and Minister Wike.
“The rally is about supporting President Tinubu’s administration and Minister Wike. It has nothing to do with destabilizing Bayelsa or any other state,” Turnah explained. “The New Associates is a grassroots political movement dedicated to mobilizing support for the administration in the South-South.”
Turnah also dismissed Diri’s claim that he was working with a former governor to cause unrest in the state.
“I am not only a PDP member but also the serving zonal secretary of the party in the South-South. If I were not a member, what official position does the governor accuse me of holding?” he questioned.
Following Governor Diri’s warning, security agencies in Bayelsa staged a show of force, conducting patrols across major streets in Yenagoa. The exercise was led by personnel from the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH under the Central Naval Command and included officers from the Nigerian Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Immigration Service, and Correctional Service.
Commodore Omobamidele Akinbami of NNS SOROH reassured Bayelsa residents of the readiness of security agencies to maintain peace and order.
“This show of force serves to assure the people of Bayelsa that security agencies are vigilant and prepared to act when necessary. The peace in this state will be upheld, and we are here to ensure that,” Akinbami stated.
