Bayelsa State faces heightened tension because of upcoming rally activities planned by The New Associates under leadership of the South South Zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. George Turnah.
The 12 April rally initially envisioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike as a key participant yet this announcement created strong negative reactions from residents of the state where Ijaw speakers predominate.
Following Governor Duoye Diri’s warning and heightened tension, the organisers published a new flier which included President Bola Tinubu alongside Wike. Thereafter, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; and Managing Director of the Samuel Ogbuku tried to restore public safety.
In a statement about the forthcoming rally, Diri declared that a ‘PDP renegade’ had contrived it to produce instability in the state. According to him, there should be no political turmoil from Rivers State transported into Bayelsa.
The governor instructed security officers and community leaders that he would not permit Rivers State chaos to infect his territory.
Security forces in Bayelsa State staged a display of military power through combined personnel from the Nigerian Navy, Army, Police and other agencies during a motorcade patrol on Saturday.
In Yenagoa, the state capital, security patrols intensified in order to protect both lives and possessions.
Turnah said that the rally is to honour both President Tinubu and Wike because they appointed natives of Bayelsa State to important posts. He described PDP’s internal battle in the state as a family dispute which would be settled in the near future.
