Bayelsa State is experiencing heightened tension due to a scheduled rally by the group ‘The New Associates’, headed by George Turnah, the South South Zonal Secretary of the PDP.
The event, set for April 12, will feature the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as the keynote speaker. The announcement of the rally sparked widespread concern in the predominantly Ijaw-speaking region, prompting the organizers to release another flier that included images of President Bola Tinubu, Wike, as well as Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum, and Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in an attempt to ease public distress.
Governor Douye Diri has issued strong warnings against the rally, categorizing it as a potential attempt by a ‘PDP renegade’ to instigate unrest amid ongoing political turmoil in neighboring Rivers State. He stated, “We will not permit the political crisis from Rivers State to seep into Bayelsa.
