George Turnah, South-South Zonal Secretary and caretaker chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, has declared that the party will back President Bola Tinubu in 2027 if Governor Douye Diri refuses to do so.

Turnah, who also leads the New Associates, a pro-Wike group launched in Bayelsa over the weekend, said most South-South governors were supporting Tinubu regardless of party lines. Speaking at a rally in Yenagoa to thank President Tinubu for appointing Niger Delta natives into key federal positions, Turnah called on Diri to publicly declare his stance ahead of the next presidential election.

“I want to formally call on Governor Douye Diri to immediately announce his stand regarding the 2027 presidency, so that Bayelsans can know where they stand,” Turnah said. “If he is supporting President Tinubu, he should come out and tell us. But if he wants to align with other candidates, let him say so. Then we will know whether to follow him or not.”

He praised former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike for openly backing Tinubu, and stated that Bayelsa PDP members would rally behind Diri if he chose to support the president. Otherwise, Turnah vowed that they would mobilize independently in Tinubu’s favor.

Citing the 2019 Southern Governors’ agreement in Asaba that power should return to the South, Turnah stressed the importance of supporting a southern president. “Tinubu is not from my party, PDP, but once a leader is elected, he becomes the President of Nigeria, and we must support our leader,” he said.

He emphasized that opposition should not be about seeking a leader’s failure. “If a leader succeeds, the people benefit. Opposition should uphold leaders to deliver for the people. If a leader is performing, there should be no rush to remove him,” he concluded, noting that the PDP would take its decisions when the time comes.