Bayelsa State Government rejects media reports alleging it shifted blame for the state’s high poverty rate to President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government. The government says the claims are false and misleading and denies issuing, signing, or circulating any official response tied to the reports.
In statements reported by multiple outlets, Bayelsa’s Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, also denies that any press release—described in one report as “Bayelsa Govt Rejects PDP’s Poverty Claims, Defends Six-Year Record”—was published or distributed. The government challenges the outlets that carried the alleged statement to produce the purported document, asserting that no such response exists.
The Bayelsa government further clarifies that it did not issue an official reaction to criticisms from a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding Governor Douye Diri’s six-year performance. It says the reports are aimed at creating a false narrative and characterizes the allegations as politically motivated. Bayelsa also says Governor Diri maintains a cordial working relationship with Tinubu and that the federal government continues to deliver benefits to the state.
