••Turnah Appointment Signals Wike’s Growing Influence, Deepens Rift with Bayelsa Governor.

By John Samuel.

George Turnah, a staunch ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has been appointed chairperson of the caretaker committee tasked with overseeing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, escalating the existing political tension between Mr. Wike and Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri.
The PDP South-South Zonal Working Committee, in a statement released Tuesday, announced Mr. Turnah’s appointment, citing “various acts of gross misconduct” by the dissolved State Working Committee as the reason for the dissolution. The statement, signed by PDP zonal spokesperson Prince Isong, also detailed the appointment of a new caretaker committee for the party in Edo State.
“The Zonal Working Committee took these decisions in the best interest of the Party after a careful review of the activities of the Party in both States in line with the Constitution of the Party as amended in 2017,” Mr. Isong stated, emphasizing the committee’s commitment to strengthening the party’s foundation and ensuring effective leadership.
Mr. Turnah, who previously served as an executive assistant to Governor Diri, has since aligned himself with Mr. Wike. His appointment is seen as a significant demonstration of Mr. Wike’s expanding influence within the PDP, particularly in the South-South region. Notably, Mr. Turnah was the driving force behind a planned mega rally in Bayelsa for the FCT minister, which was ultimately postponed.
This appointment further fuels the ongoing political discord between Mr. Wike and Governor Diri. Prior to his appointment, Governor Diri had publicly declared that Mr. Turnah was no longer a member of the PDP in Bayelsa and vehemently opposed Mr. Wike’s planned rally, citing concerns about importing the political instability of Rivers State into Bayelsa.
“As you are aware, we have threats from our sister state. The political crisis there is threatening us, and we will not allow what is happening there to come to Bayelsa State,” Governor Diri stated last month, urging security agencies to remain vigilant.
Mr. Wike’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, dismissed Governor Diri’s security concerns as unfounded, asserting the right of Nigerians to express their political support freely.
The political dynamics between the two states are historically intertwined, as Bayelsa was carved out of Rivers State in 1996. Mr. Wike’s ongoing political battle with his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, in Rivers State has drawn widespread condemnation, including criticism from Governor Diri, who objected to President Bola Tinubu’s proposed intervention.
The appointment of Mr. Turnah as Bayelsa PDP caretaker chairperson raises questions about the future of the party in the state and the potential for further escalation in the existing political rift between the two influential figures.

••Warns Against Using Party as “Getaway Car” for Personal Political Battles

Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and other opposition leaders will not be allowed to hijack the party for a personal fight against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said this during the 50th birthday celebration of his wife, Queen Lillian Adebayo, on Monday night in Abuja in a trending online video.
Adebayo said the SDP is not a “getaway car for a conspiracy and robbery”.
El-Rufai, who decamped from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP, has been working with a bloc in the APC to weaken the party in favour of an emerging coalition.
However, Adebayo, who said he was still in the race for the 2027 presidential elections, maintained that SDP is not a platform for personal political battles.

“Of course, my party knows that I’m running for the 2027 election. As for the coalition, we are listening to them. We don’t want to be a getaway car for a conspiracy and robbery we did not plan. That’s not available.
“If the coalition is for the Nigerian people, the SDP is available. But if it is just a crime centre for disappointed Tinubu followers, they should go back to him and resolve their differences there. Don’t come to SDP to borrow us for a fight we are not involved in,” he said.

On the killings in Benue, Plateau and some other parts of the country, Adebayo urged the president to re-strategise the security architecture to address insecurity in the country.

Also speaking at the sidelines of the event, former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore dismissed the ongoing coalition move by opposition elements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sowore said he was in support of coalition and opposition in a democratic setting, but argued that the individuals involved in the current coalition move lack the credibility to champion real change.

“I support coalitions and opposition. But not the kind that has people like El-Rufai. When the time comes, the moment they are offered what they want, they will go back to where they came from.

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“The APC was a coalition. Did you forget? The people who are asking to form another coalition were former APC members. In fact, most of them were Buhari cabinet members who are supposed to be in prison forming a union of prisoners, not coalitions,” Sowore said.

On his part, Chairman Forum SDP State Chairmen and SDP Lagos Chairman, Hon. Femi Olaniyi Ferrari, said the party provides Nigerians with the opportunity to address the country’s challenges.

“We can all understand what Nigerians are going through. We asked for change, but the change has shortchanged us,” he said.

The leadership of the Youth Wing of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has formally presented an endorsement letter to Senator Tanko Al-Makura, recognizing his ongoing efforts to restructure the All Progressives Congress (APC) through inclusive dialogue.
The CPC Youth Wing commended Senator Al-Makura’s initiative in fostering unity and inclusiveness within the APC by engaging with the CPC bloc and other key stakeholders.
In the endorsement letter, the youth leaders urged Senator Al-Makura to continue his engagement to address outstanding concerns and grievances within the party. They expressed their belief that this process will cultivate a stronger sense of belonging and ownership among all APC members, ultimately strengthening the party’s foundation.
The CPC Youth Wing pledged its full support and cooperation to Senator Al-Makura in this endeavor, emphasizing that a united APC is crucial for effectively serving the interests of Nigerians.
Signed:
Hon. Abubakar Maikudi
National Youth Leader
Defunct CPC
Prince Sani Ogu Salisu
Kogi State Youth Leader and Coordinating Chairman
States Youth Leaders’ Forum
Defunct CPC

••APC Chairman Dismisses Galadima’s Political Relevance Claims, Citing Proven Track Record and Kano Achievements.

By Mohammed Ahmed, Kano.

Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has vehemently refuted claims by Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), who questioned his political relevance. Ganduje asserted that Galadima lacks the moral authority to challenge his political standing.
Galadima, in a recent statement, alleged that Ganduje’s current position as APC Chairman is solely attributed to President Bola Tinubu’s patronage, implying a lack of inherent political value.
In a sharp rebuttal issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Enlightenment, Oliver Okpara, Ganduje dismissed Galadima as “a failed politician with no political base.”
“His statement clearly portrays him as a mischievous personality, politically,” the statement declared.
“Ganduje is well known, tested and trusted, result-orientated technocrat and politician of high repute who successfully led Kano for two uninterrupted terms. He is a man with infallible proof of performance across Kano and beyond. His developmental projects are still littered across Kano state, a testament of his unbroken connection with the people. Ganduje is a grassroots politician with results to show. Where are Galadima’s results?”
Ganduje’s statement further emphasized the stability and growth of the APC under his leadership, contrasting it with the alleged internal strife within Galadima’s NNPP.
“Galadima should know that the APC ship under the leadership of Dr. Ganduje is sailing smoothly and the party has continued to wax stronger under him. The same cannot be said of Buba Galadima’s NNPP which has continued to suffer serious lacerations due to an intractable and untreatable factionalization,” the statement read.
This exchange follows Galadima’s earlier allegations on April 7th, where he claimed a plot was underway to destabilize Kano and instigate a federal government-imposed state of emergency. Speaking on AIT’s political program, “Jigsaw,” Galadima asserted that these machinations were being carried out without President Tinubu’s knowledge.