The Southsouth Zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), George Turnah, has raised alarm over threats to his life, following plans to host a mega rally in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on April 12.
In a letter titled “My Life and That of My Family in Grave Danger, We Need Protection,” addressed to President Tinubu, Turnah expressed fears for his safety, attributing the threats to his political rift with Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri.
Turnah said tensions escalated after he distanced himself from Governor Diri upon discovering the governor’s alleged involvement in efforts to form a coalition party against President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Reaffirming his political stance, Turnah declared his support for equity, justice, and fairness, insisting that President Tinubu should be allowed to complete the South’s eight-year term, just as former President Muhammadu Buhari did for the North.
He also disclosed his alignment with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, under the political movement known as The NEW Associates.
He explained that the New Associates is the grassroots based pro-Tinubu group, that drums support for the President by highlighting his key achievements.
Turnah said the group scheduled the inauguration of its Bayelsa State chapter on April 12 along with a mega rally in solidarity and appreciation of President Tinubu’s administration and developmental strides in Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta region as well as the appointment of notable sons and daughters of Bayelsa into positions of trust in the federation.
Turnah, a former Executive Assistant on Public Affairs & Social Orientation to Bayelsa Governor, said because of the rally, Diri had publicly called him out during a State Security Council and Bayelsa Elders Forum meetings labelling him an enemy of Bayelsa and Ijaw nation for proposing a rally to honour Mr President and the FCT Minister on Ijaw soil.
He said to clarify the purpose of the rally, he had addressed a press conference to address issues while affirming his commitment to support President Tinubu’s vision for Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation.
He, however, said that despite his clarification, the threats to his life increased because of the redirection of his loyalty to Wike and the plan to organise the rally.
He said: ” I have faced threats to my life from loyalists of Governor Douye Diri. A supporter of the governor had openly boasted in a Facebook post that my actions were ‘a death trap’. This is a clear indication of an assassination plot by the Diri administration, especially since the administration has not condemned such a statement by a supporter.
‘’Since this threatening event, my family and I have moved out of our home in Yenagoa and are currently taking refuge in an undisclosed hotel. We do not have the financial capacity to sustain this lifestyle or afford the services of security guards.
“The situation is taking a toll on the mental health of my wife and children. Therefore, I urgently appeal for your intervention and protection for myself and family.
‘’Given the current political climate and increasing tension within our party dynamics, I respectfully urge you to take appropriate measures to ensure my safety and the safety of those who stand with me. It is of utmost importance that leaders can express their beliefs without the fear of intimidation and violence’’.
