Uncertainty Surrounds Planned Pro-Wike Rally In Bayelsa Amid Legal Challenges, Internal Divisions

Six days before the much-publicised rally scheduled for April 26, 2025, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, doubts loom over whether the event will take place as planned.

The rally, which is organised by the NEW Associates group, is meant to show support for the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, but internal disputes and legal challenges are threatening its success.

The rally, coordinated by  a key member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa, George Turnah, has already been disrupted by divisions among its organisers and a court injunction halting the event.

A High Court in Bayelsa issued an order restraining the organisers from holding the rally, citing concerns that it could disrupt the peace in the state.

Amid the legal setbacks, reports have emerged of financial mismanagement within the organising group. According to Comrade Ogedengbe, a key member of the group, there is dissatisfaction over the way funds for the rally are being managed.

According to Vanguard, Ogedengbe revealed that significant contributions had been made by political leaders and federal agencies from the Niger Delta region, but the manner in which the funds are being spent has raised concerns.

“We are not happy with the way the money is being spent. We all know how much people are contributing to it and even leaders of federal agencies in the region. We have found out that the group was created out of the name of the minister, Nyesom Wike, NEW Associates. My group and others are opting out of the rally, since somebody wants to use others to achieve his own personal political agenda,” Ogedengbe stated.

Tensions have been brewing among the organisers, with some accusing others of attempting to monopolize the rally. Disputes reportedly erupted on the group’s WhatsApp platform over the disbursement of funds, with members calling for transparency.

The quarrel escalated when a former State Chairman of the PDP, who had initially supported the rally, distanced himself from the group after being sidelined in the planning process.

He expressed his anger on the WhatsApp platform, saying, “It doesn’t work this way. Please forget about me. I don’t want to be used and dumped.”

In a statement issued by Turnah, he accused infiltrators of undermining the rally’s progress and stated that a weeding process had begun within the group.

Complicating matters further, the Yenagoa High Court affirmed Turnah’s suspension by the PDP State Working Committee, ruling that his removal from the party’s Zonal Secretary position was in line with the party’s constitution. This ruling has added another layer of complexity to the already unstable situation within the organising group.

The venue for the rally, the Tombia Roundabout, remains uncertain, as it is owned by the state government. Governor Douye Diri has already warned the organisers not to use any state government facility for the event, citing security concerns. Local security forces are reportedly on high alert, and it is expected that the venue will be cordoned off to prevent access. Sources indicate that the organisers are considering relocating the rally to Kolo, Turnah’s community in Ogbia Local Government Area, located outside the state capital.

The rally has been widely condemned by various stakeholders across Bayelsa and the Niger Delta, with critics arguing that it would only lead to chaos and exacerbate the already tense political situation in the region.

Some have drawn comparisons to the notorious Association for Better Nigeria, led by the late Senator Arthur Nzeribe, which played a controversial role in the political unrest during the Third Republic.

Critics believe that the rally will do more harm than good to the image of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, rather than promoting it as intended.

Initially scheduled for April 12, 2025, the rally was postponed to April 26, 2025, due to internal disagreements and dwindling support.