The Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, has said his administration is not against rallies in the state.

Diri said this ahead of a rally organised by a group to celebrate President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, in Bayelsa.

According to him, proper protocol for such rallies should be followed, which includes informing the state government just as wife of the President and First Lady had done before her visit to the state on Thursday on the invitation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Diri stated this on Wednesday at the 158th state executive council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The governor explained that his administration would not stop any group from holding rallies in the state but emphasised that it would be unwise and counter-productive at a time lasting peace was being sought to address the political crisis in Rivers State.

He noted that Rivers and Bayelsa were sister states and that whatever happened in Rivers had a ripple effect in Bayelsa.

“We are not yet in a political season. l am not stopping anybody from exercising his fundamental human rights but as the chief security officer of the state and with information at my disposal, we must keep the peace of the state. Nobody should come and rock the peace and security of this state,” he added.

While receiving the interim report of the steering committee on resolution of the protracted crisis in Bassambiri community, in the Nembe Local Government Area of the state, Diri warned that any errant chief not ready for peace would be disrobed.

The chairman of the committee, Vice Admiral Victor Ombu (rtd), said the panel looked into the remote and immediate causes of the community’s prolonged crisis, conducted interviews and received memoranda as well as visited some sites to see damaged property.

He noted that the committee was in the process of achieving peace and had recorded genuine reconciliation efforts.