The convener of the NEW Associates, a pro-Wike grassroots support group for President Bola Tinubu, George Turnah, has challenged Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, to declare his stance on the 2027 presidential elections, PUNCH ONLINE reports.

Speaking at the inauguration of the NEW Associates at the Church of God Mission Camp Ground, Igbogene, Yenagoa on Saturday, Turnah said Diri has been the greatest beneficiary of the Tinubu administration among the South-South governors.

Turnah, who is also the Zonal Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-South region, told his supporters that if Diri declared support for Tinubu, they would rally around him.

He stated that if the governor decided to align himself with any other group, they were already working with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who is the number one supporter of the president.

He said, “His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri, should declare to us now his stance on the 2027 election. We want him to tell us who he wants to support.

“If he says he will support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then we will align with him, but if he decides to support any other group, we are already supporting the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Barrister Nyesom Wike, who is the number one supporter of the president.

“Diri is the greatest beneficiary of Tinubu. Cross River has declared, Akwa Ibom has declared. Delta has declared, and of course, Edo is already there. Rivers State, something is going on, but Bayelsa, we don’t know.

"He should not delay. Let him tell us where Bayelsa is. If it’s Mr President, we will follow him, but if he wants to align himself with any other group, we will not support him.”

Turnah was critical of the state government for the shooting that had earlier disrupted the gathering, but the organisers were able to rally NEW Associates members back to the venue for the official commencement of the event.

Some unknown gunmen had shot into the gathering from the surrounding bushes, but the combined team of policemen and operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Department of State Security were able to restore calm.

No casualty was recorded, although a female member of the crowd narrowly escaped being shot, as eyewitnesses said one of the shots ricocheted off an iron rod and grazed the back of her jacket.

There was a beefing up of security around the Tombia Roundabout, the venue earlier announced for the event on April 12, by tough-looking policemen in riot gear.

When the organisers of the pro-Wike rally postponed their rally to April 26 to avoid a clash with the planned pro-Diri and pro-Tambuwal rallies, those behind the other rallies also postponed theirs to April 26, but their events did not hold.

The organisers were yet to give reasons why they failed to gather as at the time of filing this story.