Bayelsa On Edge: Massive Security Deployment As Wike And Diri Followers Battle Over Rally

Governor Diri expressed concerns that the rally, scheduled for April 12, could trigger unrest, given the prevailing political tensions in Rivers State. He warned against any attempt to import the crisis from Rivers into Bayelsa, urging security commanders, parents, and traditional rulers to caution their wards against being used to incite trouble.

Diri also accused a faction within the Bayelsa Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), allegedly linked to a former governor, of attempting to create instability. He noted that this faction had formed a parallel PDP in Bayelsa and participated in a discredited South-South zonal congress rejected by the PDP National Working Committee. Diri stressed that Bayelsa, as the cradle of the Ijaw nation, would not allow any faceless groups to disrupt its peace.

However, rally organizer George Turnah dismissed Diri’s fears, emphasizing that the rally aimed to show support for President Tinubu and Minister Wike rather than destabilize Bayelsa or any other state. He described “The New Associates” as a grassroots political movement mobilizing support for Tinubu’s administration in the South-South region.

Turnah also addressed allegations of collaborating with a former governor to foment unrest, asserting that he is a committed PDP member and currently serves as the party’s zonal secretary in the South-South, refuting claims of holding an unofficial position.

Following Diri’s warning, security agencies in Bayelsa conducted a show of force, patrolling major streets in Yenagoa. The exercise, led by the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH under the Central Naval Command, involved 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 residents that security agencies were on high alert to maintain peace and would respond promptly to any threats.