The President of the Ijaw National Congress (IJC), Benjamin Okaba, has urged the acting factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, George Turnah, to settle his rift with Governor Douye Diri.
Turnah is an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who is not in good terms with Diri.
The PDP chairman presently champions a pro-Wike group known as NEW Associates in Bayelsa and is at loggerheads with Diri for choosing to align with Wike.
Speaking via a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kevin Loveday Egbo, the Ijaw leader advised Turnah that it is unwise to heavily rely on a single political stakeholder.
The statement noted that Okaba made these remarks during a courtesy visit by Turnah in Yenagoa, aimed at briefing the INC president on recent political developments in the state.
Okaba praised Turnah for his humility and described the visit and apology as signs of strong leadership.
However, he urged him to extend the same gesture to Governor Diri and cautioned against divisive tendencies among political actors.
He emphasised that the INC’s silence on the political crisis in Rivers State was intentional to allow Governor Siminalayi Fubara space to pursue genuine reconciliation with his political mentor, Nyesom Wike.
“The calm in the Ijaw nation over the political debacle in Rivers State is deliberate—to give Governor Siminalayi Fubara the opportunity to seek sincere reconciliation with Nyesom Wike, who is his political father,” he said.
In his remarks, Turnah expressed regret over recent comments he made regarding the INC, which, he noted, had been misinterpreted in some quarters.
He commended Okaba for his steadfast leadership of the INC and called for increased support for the organization.