The Bayelsa State Government has denied issuing any official statement in response to claims by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the performance of Governor Douye Diri’s administration, describing reports to the contrary as false and misleading.
In a rejoinder signed by the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, the government said reports published by some media organisations under the headline, “Bayelsa Govt Rejects PDP’s Poverty Claims, Defends 6-Year Record,” were entirely fabricated. The government stated that the reports falsely claimed that the commissioner had issued a statement on Friday, July 3, 2026, responding to allegations by the factional PDP regarding Governor Diri’s six-year administration.
It also dismissed a subsequent report alleging that the state government blamed the Federal Government for poverty in Bayelsa.
According to the statement, no such press release was issued, signed or distributed by the commissioner on the date in question.
“There was no need to dignify the party’s baseless assertions with a response,” the government stated, challenging journalists and media organisations that carried the report to produce the alleged statement. “They cannot, because none exists,” it added.
The government maintained that Bayelsans were well aware of Governor Diri’s performance and could distinguish between facts and deliberate misinformation. It further alleged that the factional PDP was uncomfortable with the cordial working relationship between the Bayelsa State Government, President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the Federal Government.
According to the government, the partnership has continued to yield positive results for the state and would not be undermined by what it described as politically motivated falsehoods.
The statement also accused the factional PDP of seeking political relevance by spreading misinformation instead of addressing substantive issues.
It stressed that the Bayelsa State Government would not be distracted by what it described as unfounded allegations intended to mislead the public.
The government further disclosed that it would formally demand a retraction from Leadership and Punch newspapers over the publication of the reports on their online platforms.
It warned that failure by the media organisations to retract the reports could result in legal action for libel and the dissemination of false information.