2027: APC can’t win Bayelsa for Tinubu alone — PDP state chairman

The Bayelsa State Chairman of the PDP, George Turnah.

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, that the APC has sufficient structures and grassroots support to deliver President Bola Tinubu in the state in the 2027 presidential election.

Turnah, in a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Kelvin Loveday-Egbo, on Sunday, said the APC’s claim should be measured against the voting pattern recorded in the 2023 presidential election.

The PDP chairman argued that the figures from the last presidential election showed that the party and the Labour Party collectively polled 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.

“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 argued that the political circumstances ahead of the 2027 election were different from those of 2023, particularly with the emergence of Peter Obi as the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress.

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Turnah maintained that the APC should not dismiss the Rainbow Coalition, which he said could provide additional political support for Tinubu across party lines.

He added, “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 approach the 2027 presidential contest with political realism, saying the PDP would continue to build its structures and engage its members.

He said the party’s participation in broader political discussions should not be mistaken for an inability to operate independently.

“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 reiterated that the ultimate decision would rest with Bayelsan voters.