The organizers of the mega rally set for April 12 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, in solidarity with President Bola Tinubu and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, have confirmed that the event will take place as planned.
They condemned what they described as a misinterpretation of the Bayelsa State High Court’s decision, which had previously issued an order prohibiting a rally in the state.
At a news conference in Abuja on Friday, George Turnah, one of the organisers and South-South Zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), argued that the court decision had no bearing on the scheduled march.
Turna stated that, contrary to popular belief, the scheduled gathering, organised by a group known as New Associates, is not for the objectives for which the court has ruled. Rather, he explained the event “is for the purpose of inaugurating a group called and known as the New Associates, Bayelsa State Chapter, and then to thank and appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing notable sons and daughters of Bayelsa State into positions of trust in the country.”
He said, “Our rally, as we have said and made public, is for the purpose of inaugurating a group called and known as the New Associates, Bayelsa State Chapter, and then to thank and appreciate President Bola Ahmed Thinibu for appointing notable sons and daughters of Bayelsa State into positions of trust in the country. That is the purpose. This court’s order does not capture that purpose.
“In fact, the purpose for which we want to hold our rally is not captured in this order” So if you look at the order, gathering, meeting, holding, organising, and doing a rally are not included in this order.
“And we are not going to do any rally for the purposes that the court has listed. We will proceed as planned. We are going ahead.
“When you look at it (order), it’s just like saying, ‘Don’t hold a press conference in the Cubana Hotel for the purpose of listening to George Turner.’ It doesn’t stop practitioners from holding press conferences in Cubana for the purpose of listening to Jeremiah.
“So we are going ahead. Any day we see an order of court stopping us from holding a rally for the purpose of appreciating and solidarising with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and for the purpose of inaugurating the Bayelsa State Chapter of the New Associates, we will know what to do to comply and follow the law. But as of today, there is no order of court stopping the purpose for which our rally of 12 April is called.”
He stated that contrary to insinuations, “There was no time that we as a group gave out a notice that we are going to host Minister Wike.”
“Let me say it clearly, the purpose for which we planned our programme in Bayelsa State on the 12th is to inaugurate our group, the New Associate, and to hold a mega rally in solidarity and appreciation of Mr President for his magnanimity towards the whole of Bayelsa State, particularly in appointing our sons and daughters into positions of trust. Of course, you know very certainly that the Head of Service of the Federation was appointed. And now a number of these appointments are facilitated by a friend of Bayelsa and a friend of the Ijaw people, which is Minister Nyesom Wike.
“So, while thanking Mr President, we will also say thank you, Wike, for recommending and trusting that this class of persons can contribute to helping Mr President deliver on his mandate,” he added.
He elucidated that “Wike, as of today, is not in our plans or programme to be in Bayelsa. We have not even extended invitations to Wike to come.”
Further, the politician said, “If Wike is to visit any state of this federation, mind you, Wike is not just any minister but the minister of the FCT and has almost a near status of a governor. FCT has an SSS director. FCT has a police commissioner. Once Wike is going anywhere, the institution will act and will operate itself. There will be a government-to-government communication.
“So, all the noise you hear about Wike coming here, Wike coming here, they are politics, and it ought not to be. And then introducing ethnicity to it is something that even journalists should rise against.
We can’t survive like that in this country. The constitution must remain supreme, and we all owe a duty to promote that constitution and ensure that it remains supreme.”
Speaking on if the governor was informed about the intention of the rally, he said, “We don’t owe the governor, and it’s a private group. We don’t owe him; we are not inviting him, so we don’t need to inform him.”
Turner expressed worry that Bayelsa State governor Sen. Douye Diri accused him of conspiring with the FCT minister to instigate insecurity in Bayelsa State to destabilise the state, saying it was surprising and shocking that Diri could use outright lies and an unverified Facebook post to pit him against the people of Bayelsa State and the Ijaw nation for hatred.
“The level of incitement against my person by Governor Diri can be likened to, in the words of Governor Fubara, ‘When a man cocks a gun, and maybe because the gun is in safety and the bullets didn’t come out, the man has already killed you.’
“Let it be known by all the people of Bayelsa State, the Ijaw Nation, and Nigeria that on the 28th of March 2025, His Excellency, Sen. Douye Diri, Governor of my State, pulled a dangerous trigger against me, but, to the glory of God, I am still alive today to tell the story,” he said.
He stated that he would not associate with the things the governor had accused him of, as he recalled that “many years ago, I was identified, groomed, and nurtured in politics by a distinguished Nigerian, a refined politician, and a complete democrat, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015.”
“Let me emphasise that I continue to appreciate the investment of President Jonathan in moulding and shaping me into the grounded politician that I am today. My gratitude to him and his entire household, particularly my mother and his dear wife, Dame Dr Patience Jonathan, is for life. It is my pledge that as I continue to navigate the mucky waters of politics, I shall continue to be guided by the virtues of loyalty, humility, kindness, affection, dedication, commitment, trustworthiness, and self-discipline instilled in me by my mentor of all times and father, President Jonathan.
“A lot of us here who watched the video of the attack on my person by Governor Diri would wonder what could have led to such a high level of blackmail or setup, as it were. Well, I must state clearly that I have no personal fights or quarrels with His Excellency, Sen. Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State,” he said.
