A chieftain of Nigeria’s foremost opposition, the Peoples Democratic Social gathering (PDP), has petitioned President Bola Tinubu, alleging an assassination try on him by supporters of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State.
In a letter dated 7 April and addressed to Mr Tinubu by the Workplace of the Nationwide Safety Adviser, the PDP chieftain, George Turnah, mentioned his life and his household had been at risk.
Mr Turnah is the South-south zonal secretary of the PDP and a former government assistant on public affairs to Governor Diri till 14 February.
The PDP chieftain had switched political loyalty from Governor Diri to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and is at present the lead convener of the New Associates, Bayelsa Chapter, a platform he needs to organise a mega rally and reception of Mr Wike in Bayelsa on 12 April.
Governor Diri, who’s towards the rally, has mentioned he doesn’t need Mr Wike to export the political disaster in Rivers to Bayelsa.
Within the petition, Mr Turnah alleged that Governor Diri is concerned in a plot to type a coalition of political events forward of the 2027 elections. He mentioned this transfer is towards his (Mr Turnah’s) perception that Mr Tinubu, a Southerner, ought to full a second time period in 2027, as was the case of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“On 28 March, Governor Diri publicly referred to as me out throughout each the State Safety Council and Elders Council conferences, labelling me an enemy of the state and the Ijaw nation for proposing a rally to honour the president and the FCT minister on Ijaw soil,” he mentioned within the letter.
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State of emergency in Rivers
President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and state lawmakers.
In his petition, Mr Turnah mentioned Governor Diri claimed President Tinubu suspended an Ijaw governor and that the FCT minister insulted the Ijaw folks and may, due to this fact, not be hosted in Bayelsa state.
The PDP chieftain mentioned he addressed a press convention to make clear the state of affairs and affirmed his dedication to the president and the FCT minister, after which he alleged that he has confronted threats to the extent that certainly one of Governor Diri’s loyalists, Jonah Paebi, boasted on a Fb submit that his actions had been ‘dying lure’ and that “folks ought to watch how George Turnah will quickly be a factor of the previous.”
Mr Turnah connected a screenshot of the feedback to the petition.
“This can be a clear indication of an assassination plot by Governor Diri’s administration,” he mentioned, stressing that the governor has but to sentence the assertion.
He claimed the threats had compelled him to relocate his household from his house in Yenagoa, the state capital, and is at present searching for refuge in a lodge, a monetary burden he mentioned he couldn’t maintain and urged the federal authorities to take measures to make sure his security and people of his supporters.
Governor Diri’s response to the rally
Within the petition, Mr Turnah connected a press assertion from Governor Diri’s spokesperson, Daniel Alabrah, dated 27 March. The assertion was launched after the governor attended the Bayelsa Elders Council and the State Safety Council assembly.
“As of immediately, that younger man, George Turnah, just isn’t a member of PDP in Bayelsa state,” the governor was quoted as saying and warning that no public facility owned by the state authorities must be used for the rally.
“As you might be conscious, we have now threats from our sister state. The political disaster there may be threatening us, and we is not going to enable what is going on there to return to Bayelsa State,” the governor mentioned.
He urged safety brokers within the state to be on alert and warned that any try to import Rivers’ political disaster to Bayelsa can be resisted.
Infantile allegation – Gov Diri
When contacted, Mr Diri’s spokesperson, Daniel Alabrah, described the governor as a person of peace who wouldn’t descend to the sector to reply to Mr Turnah.
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“Mr Turnah is inconsequential on the subject of the governor responding to him. In regulation, it’s mentioned that he who alleges should show,” he mentioned, asking Mr Turnah to show his allegation.
“Odd submit on Fb that he claimed he noticed? Is {that a} proof? It’s a infantile allegation. The governor is anxious about critical governance enterprise,” he mentioned.
On the proposed rally in honour of the FCT minister, the governor’s spokesperson mentioned Mr Turnah ought to vacate the court docket order first.
“As it’s, the court docket has mentioned no rally till the matter is heard. The matter is earlier than the court docket. He ought to go and defend himself on 11 April, not elevating false alarms,” Mr Alabrah mentioned.
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