2027: Bayelsa PDP, APC chairmen clash over Diri’s support for Tinubu

The Bayelsa State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief George Turnah, has alleged that Governor Douye Diri is not actively working for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Turnah’s allegation has sparked a political disagreement in the state, with the All Progressives Congress chairman, Chief Warman Weri Ogoriba, dismissing the claim and insisting that Diri is among those at the forefront of the President’s re-election campaign.

The PDP chairman, who spoke while addressing party members on the political situation in Bayelsa on Friday at the PDP secretariat, questioned the governor’s commitment to Tinubu’s political project.

He also questioned the governor’s alleged support for the City Boys Movement, a support group associated with the President’s political activities.

“Those claiming to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election should be asked to demonstrate what they have done to show their commitment

“When the President inaugurated the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, was Governor Douye Diri there?

“When the President and the APC flagged off their presidential campaign in Kaduna, was Governor Diri there?

“In Bayelsa State, is there anything to show that Governor Diri has visited communities or participated in activities to demonstrate support for the President’s re-election?

“Is there any billboard mounted by the APC government in Bayelsa State to show support for President Tinubu? There is none.

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“Have they inaugurated any campaign council for President Tinubu in Bayelsa State? Let us not deceive ourselves. They are not supporting him.

“We are the ones, the PDP, who are supporting President Tinubu’s re-election,” he said

However, reacting to the allegation, Ogoriba described Turnah’s position as baseless, insisting that the governor had demonstrated his support for Tinubu through his actions and public engagements.

Ogoriba said, “It is laughable that anyone could imagine that Governor Diri was not backing the re-election bid of President Tinubu, as his actions and utterances prove beyond any reasonable doubt that he is in the forefront of the campaign for the President’s re-election.”

The APC chairman also dismissed claims that Diri was not supporting the City Boys Movement in Bayelsa, saying the governor had supported the group in different ways, including attending its events.

He challenged the PDP chairman’s understanding of the support group’s activities, insisting his allegations did not reflect the political reality in the state.

Ogoriba further urged Bayelsans to disregard Turnah’s comments, describing them as attempts to create unnecessary political tension.

The disagreement comes amid political realignments and preparations by political parties ahead of the 2027 general election, with Tinubu’s support in Bayelsa emerging as a subject of political debate.

However, Turnah’s allegation and Ogoriba’s rebuttal represent competing political positions, with neither statement providing independent evidence to establish the extent of the governor’s involvement in the President’s re-election campaign.