Tension as Diri opposes rally organised for Wike in Bayelsa

There is palpable tension in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital as the crisis rocking the national echelons of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and that of Rivers State is gradually moving to Bayelsa State.

The rally scheduled for FCT Minister and Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has been opposed by the Governor of the State, Sen. Douye Diri.

There has been growing tension between George Turnah, the South-South Secretary of the party and an ally to the Wike and Bayelsa State chapter of the party, which led to Turnah’s suspension.

The NEW associates led my Turnah, a literary acronym named Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. The political movement scheduled an event on Saturday (Today) in Yenagoa.

However, Diri publicly opposed the event, citing security concerns.

During a state security meeting, the governor raised an alarm about what he described as ‘a plot to breach the peace of the state.’

Diri, who warned that the state government would not condone any act that would disrupt the peace of the state, advised security commanders, youths, elders and traditional rulers to be on the alert.

He warned that the planned mega rally and inauguration of the group loyal to Wike was capable of igniting avoidable crisis in the state.

Diri noted that Turnah was suspended because he had been enlisted to create factions in Bayelsa PDP.

The governor also stated that holding such event at a time the political crisis in Rivers State had heightened ethnic tensions and could degenerate into conflict in the state.

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He further stated that the alarm was imperative given that the FCT Minister had threatened to cause crisis in PDP-governed states in the country.

He said: “Any attempt to import the Rivers State political crisis into Bayelsa will be resisted.

“I urge security commanders in the state to be on the alert. Parents and traditional rulers should discourage their wards and children from being used by unscrupulous elements to cause trouble in the state.”

Diri, who insisted that the peaceful disposition of the Ijaws should not be misconstrued for cowardice, said the state would not allow a faceless group to foment trouble in Bayelsa, which is the homeland of all Ijaw people.

“As you are aware, we have threats from our sister state. The political crisis there is threatening us and we will not allow what is happening there to come into Bayelsa State.

“We had in our party a renegade, who has decided to form a parallel PDP in Bayelsa State, working with an ex-governor.

“The party in our state suspended him for gross misconduct and for now he is not a member of our party in Bayelsa State.

“He was a part of the kangaroo PDP South South zonal congress that was rejected by the National Working Committee of our party and he is threatening the peace of this state.”