Bayelsa Congress: Alaibe Petitions PDP National Leadership

A governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Timi Alaibe Saturday disclosed that he notified the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) about the issues surrounding the ward congresses which ended in the state on Friday.

He, however, urged his supporters to maintain the peace, assuring that th e controversies arising from the list of returning and electoral officials for the ad-hoc delegate elections “are currently being addressed by the party leadership at the national level.”

He gave the assurance in a statement he issued yesterday, noting that the names had been inserted to put some aspirants, especially those loyal to the current government at an advantage.

He reiterated his objection to the ‘unilateral inclusion’ of certain names on the list contrary to the party constitution and guidelines for the conduct of a peaceful primary.

Alaibe, former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, said it was a deliberate calculation to destabilise his aspiration to lead Bayelsa State, saying those behind it were merely imagining things.

He said: “They have failed this time around because no degree of intrigues, no amount of manipulation and propaganda can push me out of this race. Nothing will change my decision to lift the lot of our people through purposeful leadership. I am here to stay and together we will win.”

He said the method that is making the primary in Kogi State a smooth and rancour-free exercise is being thwarted in Bayelsa State for very narrow and selfish reasons.

According to him, the irreducible minimum is to provide a level-playing field for all aspirants to test their acceptability among the delegates to the primary election.

Alaibe pleaded with the party leadership to avoid decisions that could imperil the chances of the PDP in the main election.

“While winning to us is not a do or die affair, the process of choosing the party flag bearer should be made unquestionably transparent such that in the end, the outcome would be acceptable to all so that we could stand as one to face the real opponent” Alaibe said.

He said he had taken appropriate steps to notify the party leadership of the ongoing attempts to compromise the primary election processes and expressed confidence in the capacity of the party’s national leadership to right every wrong.

“Our supporters and friends should, therefore, remain calm and stand firm believing that the national leadership of our great party would intervene and do the right thing,” he said.