Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Bayelsa State Government has thrown the media and political landscape into fresh turmoil, formally denying that it issued any official statement responding to recent criticisms from a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over rising poverty and hunger in the state. In a strongly worded rejoinder issued on Sunday, 5 July 2026, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Honourable Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, declared that reports circulating on multiple platforms attributing a government response to the PDP's claims were entirely fabricated. The commissioner has now threatened legal action against Leadership and Punch newspapers, demanding an immediate retraction of what she described as false, defamatory, and damaging publications, warning that failure to comply could result in libel proceedings.
The controversy erupted following reports published on Friday, 3 July 2026, which claimed that the Bayelsa State Government had dismissed allegations by the PDP that Governor Douye Diri's administration had failed to address hunger and poverty. Those reports, which appeared on platforms including Leadership and AllAfrica, quoted Koku-Obiyai as saying the administration had made significant investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, and youth empowerment, listing projects such as the Nembe-Brass Road, the second phase of Glory Drive, and the new state secretariat complex. The disputed reports also quoted the commissioner as acknowledging that "the current economic challenges are largely driven by national economic realities affecting every state of the federation", a statement that critics interpreted as an attempt to shift blame to the Federal Government.
But in a dramatic reversal, Koku-Obiyai has now insisted that no such statement was ever issued from her office. "There was no need to dignify the factional PDP's baseless assertions with a response," she said, according to a rejoinder published on Sunday. The commissioner challenged the journalists and media organisations behind the publications to produce the statement they claimed came from her, maintaining that no such document exists. She accused the reports of misrepresenting the position of the Bayelsa State Government and misleading the public. The government further alleged that a follow-up report portrayed the state as shifting responsibility for poverty to the Federal Government, a claim Koku-Obiyai described as false and capable of undermining the cordial relationship between Governor Diri's administration and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's government.
The commissioner also accused the factional PDP of seeking political relevance through misinformation and false narratives, stating that the government would not be dragged into what she described as unfounded political propaganda. She disclosed that the Bayelsa State Government would formally demand an immediate retraction from Leadership and Punch newspapers, and warned that failure to retract could leave the government with no option but to institute legal proceedings for libel and dissemination of falsehood. The threat of legal action comes amid a growing political exchange in the state over poverty, hunger, unemployment, and the direction of the Diri administration's economic policies.
The PDP had earlier this month urged Governor Diri to make the fight against hunger and poverty the administration's top priority in the second half of 2026, arguing that worsening economic hardship had left many residents struggling to meet basic needs. In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Ikaebimo Mark, the opposition party said rising living costs and declining purchasing power had continued to worsen the plight of Bayelsans despite increased derivation revenue and federal allocations to the state. The PDP also expressed concern that several Memoranda of Understanding announced by the government had yet to translate into tangible investments capable of creating jobs or stimulating industrial growth.
The factional nature of the PDP in Bayelsa has added another layer of complexity to the dispute. While the party's leadership has previously dismissed rumours of factions within the state chapter, reports have persisted of divisions between the mainstream structure and groups aligned with former Governor Nyesom Wike. The government's latest rejoinder appears to be drawing a firm line between legitimate political criticism and what it considers false attribution. As the government prepares to demand retractions from the affected media houses, the dispute has opened another front in the wider contest over governance, public communication, and accountability in Bayelsa State. For now, the public is left to navigate competing narratives, with the government insisting that no official response was ever issued, while the affected newspapers have yet to respond to the government's allegations or the threat of legal action.
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