Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri and supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have clashed over a planned mega rally in support of Wike and President Bola Tinubu, as well as the inauguration of a political group, ‘The New Associates,’ in Bayelsa.
The rally, scheduled for April 12, has drawn sharp criticism from Diri, who, during separate meetings with the Bayelsa Elders Council and at the 37th session of the State Security Council, warned that such a gathering could spark an avoidable crisis in the state.
Diri raised concerns over a potential plot to destabilise Bayelsa and cautioned that his administration would not tolerate actions that threaten the state’s peace. He urged security agencies, youth groups, elders and traditional rulers to remain vigilant.
“Holding such an event when political tensions are high in Rivers State could fuel unrest in Bayelsa,” Diri said. “Any attempt to import the Rivers crisis here will be resisted. I call on security commanders, parents and traditional rulers to dissuade their wards from being used to cause trouble.”
The governor emphasised that the Ijaw people’s peaceful nature should not be mistaken for weakness. He accused a faction within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa, allegedly aligned with a former governor, of attempting to create instability.
“We have a renegade in our party who has formed a parallel PDP in Bayelsa, working with 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 cradle of the Ijaw nation. We will not allow faceless groups to disrupt our peace,” he added.
The governor also stated that public facilities in the state could not be used for such gatherings without explicit approval from the government.
Rally organisers push back
In response, the organisers of the pro-Wike rally dismissed Diri’s concerns and insisted the event would proceed as planned. They assured that necessary security notifications had been made, as required by law.
The rally promoter, George Turnah, through his media aide, Kelvin Loveday-Egbo, argued that ethnicity should not play a role in politics and defended the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
“The rally is meant to support President Tinubu and Minister Wike. It is not about destabilising Bayelsa or any state,” Turnah said. “The New Associates is a grassroots political movement mobilising support for Tinubu’s administration in the South-South.”
He refuted Diri’s claim that he was collaborating with a former governor to cause unrest.
“I am not only a PDP member but also the serving zonal secretary of the party in the South-South. I do not understand what office the governor is accusing me of holding if I am not a party member,” he added.
Turnah acknowledged internal disagreements within the PDP in Bayelsa but dismissed them as a “family affair” that would soon be resolved. While expressing support for Diri’s administration, he urged Bayelsans to turn out en masse to appreciate Tinubu and Wike for appointing Bayelsa indigenes into key positions in the current administration.
Security agencies stage show of force
Meanwhile, following Diri’s warning about security threats linked to the rally, security agencies in Bayelsa staged a show of force on Saturday, patrolling major streets in Yenagoa.
Led by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH under the Central Naval Command, the exercise involved officers from the Nigerian Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Immigration Service, and Correctional Service. Armed personnel conducted motorcade patrols to demonstrate readiness to maintain peace.
Commander of NNS SOROH, Commodore Omobamidele Akinbami, said the exercise was aimed at ensuring the preparedness of security forces in protecting lives and property.
“This show of force reassures Bayelsa residents that security agencies are alert and ready to act whenever needed,” Akinbami said. “The peace in this state will be maintained, and we are here to ensure it.”
He urged security operatives to remain vigilant while moving around the state during the exercise.