By David Owei,Bayelsa

The Niger Delta Development Monitoring Group (NIDDEMOG) has called on the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri and National Leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson to exercise restraints and caution in their utterances and body language during the campaigns and activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

The group’s Team Lead, Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON, in a statement issued on Monday argued that what the supporters of various political parties needed at this time are issue based campaign and not casting personal grievances and aspersions against one another.

He said such unwarranted and personal attacks will only created tensed moments among supporters and throw them against one another which may lead to violence and possible deaths.

The Group reiterated and cautioned the political actors against use of cheap controversy on who enthrone one politician or another and other trivial issues to divert the attention of the massive voters but focus on telling each region, including the Niger Delta, their action plan for development, prosperity and empowerment.

Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, who is also the immediate past 2nd Vice President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), called on the duo of Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri and National Leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson to exercise caution in the spirit of the Ijaw Nation.

” They should both show capacity in leadership by ensuring that their campaign do not instigate blood shed.

” What we need are road infrastructures, Sea Ports, Refineries, improved shore protection plan for communities being washed away from the region. And not who enthrone who to power. Each politician is enthrone by one person or another with the certification of the almighty God.”

Chief Nengi James, who is a mediation and arbitration expert described the recent campaign triviality as unnecessary, as what the people need is for solution to the challenges facing each region, particularly Ijaw nation.

By Festus Daumiebi Sunday

The recent unguarded statements by Mr. George Turnah MON against the person of Governor of Bayelsa State is totally dishonourable and condemnable.

It is not only bad that Turnah MON has made disparaging His Excellency Sen. Douye Diri, the symbol of Bayelsa State his Stock-in-trade but it is worst when he carries on with a swagger as though he is doing the work of God.

For persons outside Bayelsa State, George Turnah is the factional State Chairman of the PDP in Bayelsa State which party the PDP is completely dead in Bayelsa State.

It is instructive to let you know that as of today, 29th October, 2026, in terms of membership, in terms of quality, in terms of structure and in terms of grassroots appeal, only one party, the All Progressives Congress is on ground in Bayelsa State while all others exist only in name and on the social media. More than that, the voters are with the APC as Bayelsans are happy with the Prosperity Assured Administration of Sen. Douye Diri. Thus, your claim that the APC in Bayelsa State needs the coliation of your under the radar party to deliver His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is presumptuousness taking too far.

In my candid but firm opinion, such online political party, the factional PDP should save its supposed political strength to deliver its candidates for the various National Assembly and State Assembly Seats at the polls, as the Factional PDP has no presidential candidate.

Let no one be deceived, in Bayelsa State, you are either a member of the APC, or you have the APC to contend with at the polls. No other political party would be able to poll 15% of the total votes on the election day in Bayelsa State as the Renewed Prosperity Administration of Sen. Douye Diri is not commissioning audio projects, as Bayelsans witnessed in the recent past.

His Excellency, Sen. Douye Diri has done Excellently well, and have outperformed every other Governor that governed our state in our recent history, and that has earned him the confidence of Bayelsa State voters.

Politics should be played with decency, and campaigns should be issue based, not destructive contrivances in the hope to embarrass the State and place stain on the good name of the Governor.

I was the APC Bayelsa Central Senatorial District Candidate that contested against the His Excellency Senator Douye Diri in the 2019 General Election, it was a keenly contested election preceded by issue based campaigns and was done without insults on persons. I challenge anyone who can come up with evidence of statements credited to me where I insulted my then oppenent who is the current Governor of Bayelsa State.

I was also a principal actor in the Bayelsa State APC in the 2020 Governorship Election against the incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State and in all my public and private communications and campaigns, I did not ever insult the person of His Excellency Senator Douye Diri.

That is how politics should be played.

The citizens and inhabitants of Bayelsa State will recall that a seating Governor of Bayelsa State, once described the six years presidency of Bayelsa and Niger Delta’s pride, His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s as “wasted six years”: and Bayelsans stood to the occasion unanimously and vehemently condemned the statement.

I respectfully call on all well meaning Bayelsans to call Mr. George Turnah MON to order.

I know the respectful and courteous disposition of the people of Ogbia LGA where Mr. George Turnah MON hails from. We have leaders in Ogbia that has the capacity to call Mr. George Turnah MON to order. The big question is why are they not doing it?

Be it known that nobody has monopoly of insulting leaders without any provocation. People are only exhibiting good home training by showing restraint as responsible persons.

There is nothing wrong craving the headlines, but everything is bad insulting and concoting charges in the media against the Governor of your State and someone more than old enough to be your father in the name of politics. We are Ijaw people. Culture forbids it, nature abhors it
even in the face of provocation.

Throughout Bayelsa State and beyond , Governor Douye Diri is known for his unrelenting peaceful disposition, advocating for peace, making peace, building peace and maintaining peace in Bayelsa State. No Governor has demonstrated and shown the high level of an exemplar of peace in Bayelsa State.

I urge Turnah MON not to take the Governor’s peaceful disposition for granted.

In this same Bayelsa State we have had terrible leaders that you dare not speak against on national Televisions programmes and go scot-free.

Mr. George Turnah MON should desist, forthwith, the unprovoked attack on the person of the Governor, and centre his campaign on issues that he must be able to substantiate, if the need arises.

Mr. George Turnah MON knows that Rainbow Coalition has no place in Bayelsa State as coalition may only work in politically conquered territories which Bayelsa State can never be.

It is this knowledge of the fact that Rainbow Coalition has no hold in Bayelsa State that is making him George Turnah to apply this unholy, dishonourable and ethically bankrupt approach of resorting to insulting the person of the Governor of Bayelsa State to please his paymasters at the expense of decency, respect for elder and decorum.

The point should also be made that every man is helped one way or the other by another man. Those who are claiming to have made the Governor of Bayelsa State who he is today should know that others or another also made them who they are. In all fairness , at the level of a Governor, it is not reasonable to expect a sitting Governor to always do the bidding of those who helped him to power. So where the Governor of Bayelsa took the decision to come to APC which decision did not go down well with those that helped him to power should not be an eternal crime. In the current reality, Governor Douye Diri’s decision to leave the PDP for APC is the best decision and is clearly because even those that claim to have made him who condemned the decision also justified the decision by their leaving the PDP.

Be that as it may, we have leaders in every Senatorial District of the State. Beyond being the Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency Sen. Douye Diri is a leader of a Pillar “the Bayelsa Central” Senatorial District of the State, and must be respected.

A word is enough for the wise

By Chris Okafor,Abuja
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said its investigations on the reports of suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Yola, Adamawa State tested negative.

The Centre which disclosed this in an Updated post on Saturday night, said “Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing”.

The Centre stressed that: “Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed EVD case in Adamawa State”.

Ebola Virus Disease is a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

Ebola symptoms manifest in the following forms: fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following a relevant exposure.

Public health experts therefore, encourage anyone experiencing similar symptoms to seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history.

Experts urge individuals to avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.

Speaking via a press release, the NCDC Director General, Dr Jide Idris confirmed the suspected EVD cases proved negative.

According to him, the NCDC is worked closely with the Adamawa State Government, through the State Ministry of Health and Human Services, to investigate report of suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Yola, Adamawa State.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation. Hence the alert that was released early this evening.

“The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness.

“Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing,” the NCDC DG stated.

Pledging continued in collaboration with the Adamawa State Government and other relevant stakeholders, to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as verified information becomes available, Idris commended the efforts of the Adamawa State’s Commissioner for Health and his team for their proactive approach.

He said the NCDC will continue to provide appropriate technical support to the Adamawa State Government to strengthen their response operations.

Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed EVD case in Adamawa State.

On the index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.

The NCDC urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculation about the situation.

It encouraged the public to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels.
suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa test negative- NCDC
By Chris Okafor,Abuja
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said its investigations on the reports of suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Yola, Adamawa State tested negative.

The Centre which disclosed this in an Updated post on Saturday night, said “Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing”.

The Centre stressed that: “Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed EVD case in Adamawa State”.

Ebola Virus Disease is a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

Ebola symptoms manifest in the following forms: fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following a relevant exposure.

Public health experts therefore, encourage anyone experiencing similar symptoms to seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history.

Experts urge individuals to avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.

Speaking via a press release, the NCDC Director General, Dr Jide Idris confirmed the suspected EVD cases proved negative.

According to him, the NCDC is worked closely with the Adamawa State Government, through the State Ministry of Health and Human Services, to investigate report of suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Yola, Adamawa State.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation. Hence the alert that was released early this evening.

“The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness.

“Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing,” the NCDC DG stated.

Pledging continued in collaboration with the Adamawa State Government and other relevant stakeholders, to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as verified information becomes available, Idris commended the efforts of the Adamawa State’s Commissioner for Health and his team for their proactive approach.

He said the NCDC will continue to provide appropriate technical support to the Adamawa State Government to strengthen their response operations.

Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed EVD case in Adamawa State.

On the index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.

The NCDC urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculation about the situation.

It encouraged the public to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels.