George Turnah, the South-South Zonal Secretary and caretaker chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, has declared that the party will rally behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, regardless of the stance of Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri.
Speaking during a rally in Yenagoa over the weekend, Turnah, who also serves as the lead convener of the New Associates, a prominent pro-Wike group, emphasized that loyalty to Nigeria’s leadership should transcend party lines. He revealed that nearly all South-South governors are quietly supporting President Tinubu, even if some have yet to make their positions public.
Turnah did not mince words, urging Governor Diri to immediately clarify his stand on the 2027 presidency. According to him, the people of Bayelsa deserve transparency from their leader. “I want to formally call on Governor Douye Diri to immediately announce his stand regarding the 2027 presidency, so that Bayelsans can know where they stand,” he said. “If he is supporting President Tinubu, he should come out and tell us. But if he chooses another path, then we will know whether to follow him or forge our own way.”
The PDP stalwart praised Nyesom Wike, former Governor of Rivers State, for openly backing Tinubu and called on other leaders in the South-South to emulate his straightforwardness. Turnah insisted that leadership is about results, not party loyalty, and warned against blind opposition. “Tinubu is not from my party, PDP, but once a leader is elected, he becomes the President of Nigeria, and we must support our leader,” he asserted.
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Recalling the historic 2019 Southern Governors’ meeting in Asaba, where leaders agreed that power must return to the South, Turnah criticized those who later reneged on that commitment. Despite political betrayals, he pointed out, it was Tinubu—a Southern candidate—who emerged victorious in 2023, fulfilling the regional aspiration for power rotation.
Turnah urged politicians to move beyond the politics of bitterness and focus on nation-building. He stated that opposition parties should hold leaders accountable, not work to undermine them. “Opposition is not about plotting for leaders to fail. If a leader succeeds, the people benefit. If a leader is performing, there should be no rush to remove him,” Turnah declared. He concluded that when the time comes, the PDP will make a strategic decision for the 2027 election, but until then, supporting good governance must take precedence.
As political alignments begin to shift, George Turnah’s remarks have sparked intense debate within Bayelsa’s political landscape, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle ahead of 2027.
