Posted by By FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE, Abuja on
Over 200 House of Assembly aspirants on the platform of Peoples Democtartic Party (PDP) from Bayelsa State, weekend in Abuja protested last week's rescheduled local government and House of Assembly primaries
Over 200 House of Assembly aspirants on the platform of Peoples Democtartic Party (PDP) from Bayelsa State, weekend in Abuja protested last week's rescheduled local government and House of Assembly primaries in the state and called for the cancellation of the results over alleged manipulation of the exercises by the state authorities.
Spokesman of the group, Mr Kemiebi Inokoba, a lawyer who spoke to newsmen after the formal protest to the national secretariat of the PDP alleged that the results submitted to the party in Abuja did not reflect the wishes and aspirations of the people of the state as the list of the purpoted elected candidates were arbitrarily drawn and composed of the names of those adopted by two governorship aspirants in the state.
As an alternative, the aggrieved aspirants demanded that a stakeholders forum comprising of all the governorship aspirants and a cross section of cleared House of Assembly aspirants as nominated by the governorship aspirants be convened to resolve the matter amicably.
According to them, the need for the national secretariat to wade in stemmed from the growing tension in the state over the development, which if not checked, could affect the fortunes of the party in the state, and lead to break down of law and order.
Inokoba who pointed the finger at the State Governor, Chief Goodluck Jonathan as well as another leading governorship aspirant, Chief Timi Alaibe, warned that the inability of the governor to manage the situation coupled with the self serving ambition of some politicians in the state might spell doom for the party.
The aspirants said despite the disenchantment that had greeted the congresses and primaries, the state governor had caused the list of the aspirants adopted by him to be continuously aired on the Bayelsa State radio and television as the genuine result of the primaries.
In the protest letter which had been submited to the party national secretariat, the aggrieved aspirants claimed; "In compiling the list of the adopted candidates, no recourse was made to include the inputs of other gubernatorial aspirant like Hon. Timipre Sylva and the cross section of cleared House of Assembly aspirants in their capacity as major stakeholders commanding their independent followership in the state.
"In clear contravention of the guidelines issued by the National leadership of the party, the duo prevented the use of the names of delegates earlier elected in the ward congresses of the party in the state, who in turn are required by the relevant party guidelines to elect members of the House of Assembly under the platform of our great party.
"That in a most grotesque and clearly undemocratic and unconstitutional move lacking the consent of the stakeholders of the party in the state especially the interest of aspirants duly screened and cleared by the national leadership, the duo in the most unfortunate and surreptitious circumstances reportedly sat and allocated assembly seats to themselves and their cohorts."