Bayelsa Gov Not Under Pressure to Endorse Tinubu – Spokesman Responds to Defection Drama

The Bayelsa State Government has responded to recent political pressure calling on Governor Douye Diri to publicly declare support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, stating that such endorsements will only happen if and when the governor believes it aligns with the best interest of Bayelsa people.

Speaking to Premium Times, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, emphasized that Governor Diri would not be forced into premature political declarations. “If the governor decides to support the president, he will announce it himself—and at the right time,” he said. “No one can compel him to speak before that moment.”

This response follows pressure from George Turnah, a former aide to Diri and now an ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who has defected and is mobilizing for Tinubu’s re-election. Turnah, currently the South-South zonal secretary of the PDP, has been vocal in criticizing Diri’s political silence, especially during a rally by his group, The NEW Associates, earlier this year—an event Governor Diri strongly opposed.

Turnah claimed Diri had benefited more than any other South-South governor from President Tinubu but failed to show gratitude. Alabrah rejected this, asking what “benefit” Turnah was referring to. “If he means the president ensured a free and fair election in 2023, that’s not a personal favour—it’s a democratic obligation,” he argued.

Alabrah said the idea that Diri owes the president support due to a supposedly fair election is damaging to democratic principles. “If the president merely allowed a level playing field, how is that magnanimity? That should be standard practice,” he said.

He clarified that while Governor Diri maintains a cordial relationship with President Tinubu, both are from opposing parties—the PDP and APC respectively—and political loyalty should not be forced. “You can’t compel someone to support you or vote for you,” Alabrah added.

He also questioned Turnah’s stance, pointing out the irony in a PDP official demanding support for an APC president, saying, “Where in a democracy is every governor required to declare loyalty to the president? That’s not how it works.”

Alabrah concluded by affirming that Governor Diri has no personal issues with President Tinubu but would act based on what best serves Bayelsa, not under pressure from political defectors.