2027: APC needs help to win Bayelsa for Tinubu, PDP chairman

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State, George Turnah, has challenged the claim by the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Warman Ogoriba. Ogoriba said the APC has enough structures and grassroots support to help President Bola Tinubu win in the state during the 2027 presidential election.

Turnah, in a statement from his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Kelvin Loveday-Egbo, on Sunday, said the APC's claim should be looked at in light of the voting patterns from the 2023 presidential election.

He argued that the numbers from the last presidential election show that the PDP and the Labour Party received more votes in Bayelsa than the APC. Turnah said, "The PDP scored 65,145 votes, while the Labour Party and APC recorded 45,645 and 40,417 votes respectively. The reality is that the Bayelsa APC cannot afford to dismiss the significance of the Rainbow Coalition or the political value of the PDP without confronting the facts on ground; there’s no way Bayelsa APC can deliver Tinubu alone, without a coalition."

Turnah added, "The 2027 contest will not be won by press statements, boasts about structures or claims of grassroots strength; it will be determined by the ability to build broad-based political support across communities, wards, local government areas and the wider electorate."

The PDP chairman also pointed out that the political situation ahead of the 2027 election is different from 2023, especially with Peter Obi as the presidential candidate for the Nigerian Democratic Congress. Turnah stressed that the APC should not ignore the Rainbow Coalition, which could bring extra political support for Tinubu across different parties.

He said, "The support of the PDP and the Rainbow Coalition is not a peripheral matter; it is central and indispensable if President Tinubu is to win Bayelsa State." Turnah urged the APC leadership to face the 2027 presidential race with political realism. He noted that the PDP will keep building its structures and connecting with its members.

He said the party's involvement in wider political discussions should not be seen as a sign of weakness. "The 2027 election is still ahead. The political debate at this time should therefore focus on issues that matter to Bayelsans, including development, infrastructure, employment, economic opportunity, poverty eradication, security, education and healthcare," Turnah stated.

The PDP chairman reminded everyone that the final decision will be made by the voters in Bayelsa.