The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South-South Zonal Secretary, George Turnah, has dismissed the security concerns raised by Governor Douye Diri over a proposed mega rally in support of President Bola Tinubu and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, scheduled to be held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

Turnah also defended his association with Wike, stating that freedom of association and peaceful assembly are constitutional rights in Nigeria.

Governor Douye Diri, during a recent meeting with Bayelsa elders, raised an alarm over the proposed rally organized by The New Associates, claiming that the event was part of a plan to instigate chaos in Bayelsa.

However, Turnah, in a statement issued by his media assistant, Kelvin Loveday, expressed disappointment over the governor’s remarks, clarifying that there was no intention to destabilize Bayelsa State.

He assured the Ijaw nation of his respect, loyalty, and commitment as an Ijaw man, emphasizing that his political group is solely focused on mobilizing support for President Tinubu’s administration in the South-South Zone, devoid of any ulterior motives.

According to Turnah, the political group, The New Associates, will be officially launched in Bayelsa on April 12, 2025. He added that arrangements are well underway to ensure a smooth and peaceful event, including formal notifications to relevant security agencies in the state, as mandated by law.

Turnah condemned the undue politicization of the proposed rally, maintaining that ethnicity should not play a role in politics.

Speaking on his election as the PDP Zonal Secretary, he questioned why his position was being challenged when it was meant for a son of the soil from Bayelsa or Ijaw, wondering whether he was not qualified to hold the office.

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Turnah also reminded Governor Diri that the Ogbia leaders and elders whom the governor has urged to call him to order were the same leaders who, in 2019, requested that he should not support the governor’s ambition— a request he respectfully declined.

He reiterated his membership in the PDP as the serving Zonal Secretary of the Party in the South-South, questioning which other office the governor was accusing him of occupying if he were truly not a PDP member.

Turnah further expressed surprise at Governor Diri’s displeasure over his association with Wike, stressing that he has the constitutional right to associate with whomever he chooses.

He commended Governor Diri on his achievements and pledged his continued support for the prosperity administration led by the governor.

Turnah, therefore, called on youths, women, political leaders across party lines, and all supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to come out en masse to show their appreciation to the President and the FCT Minister for their commitment to Bayelsa State and the Ijaw nation, as demonstrated through the appointment of notable Bayelsans into positions of trust in the renewed hope administration.