Internal crisis looms in the Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party as tensions escalate between the South-South Zonal Secretary, George Turnah, and the State Chairman, Mr. Solomon Agwanana, sparking a war of words.
Since Turnah’s emergence as the Zonal Secretary at the PDP Zonal Congress held in Calabar, Cross River State, the state party leadership has been at loggerheads with him. In a letter dated March 5th, signed by Agwanana, the party’s Secretary, Gesiye Isowo, and Publicity Secretary, Ebiye Ogoli, the state leadership accused Turnah of recruiting party officials from the ward, local government, and state levels to form a parallel party structure and instigate a crisis within the party. The letter warned party officials against associating with Turnah, threatening sanctions for those found fraternizing with him.
In a swift response, Turnah, through a statement titled “Time for Change Has Arrived” issued by his media assistant, Kevin Loveday-Egbo, declared that the Agwanana-led faction of the party should prepare for an “avoidable transformation within the party.” Turnah denied any intention to cause division in the party but asserted that Agwanana’s time as party chairman was over. He claimed that the party had declined due to “Agwanana’s poor leadership, underscoring the urgent need to rescue it from potential collapse.”
Turnah further alleged that the party had been losing committed members to the opposition due to Agwanana’s leadership failures and promotion of factionalism. He called on Governor Douye Diri not to be misled by Agwanana’s “deceptive strategies,” emphasizing that the “disappointing turnout” of State Executive Committee members at a recent meeting was clear evidence of “widespread distrust and dissatisfaction within the party.”
Turnah urged party members to unite and take urgent action to save the party from further deterioration. He stressed the need to restore the party’s integrity by establishing authentic leadership that truly represents the interests of the people.
“As leaders of this party, we must save it from Agwanana’s incompetence and ineffective leadership, which lacks fundamental knowledge and skills in party management. If Agwanana understood the level of dissatisfaction among party members, he would see that he and his allies have become mere shadows of their former selves. Change is here and it is inevitable,” Turnah added.
He called on party leaders in the state and beyond to recognize the critical moment the party is facing and push for a new direction that prioritizes accountability and effective governance. Turnah’s statement underscored the deepening rift within the Bayelsa PDP, signaling a potential internal crisis if the issues remain unresolved.
