Protests, violence mar PDP primaries in Bayelsa ahead of LG polls

ALLEGED irregularities and protests yesterday trailed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, local government chairmanship primaries held in the original eight local government areas of the state. Though the exercise was shunned by the Abuja based chieftains of the PDP and its estranged chairman, Chief Rufus Abadi, many of the aggrieved aspirants described the primaries as a sham and not in tandem with the rules and guidelines of the party.

Three persons were reportedly injured during a confrontation between members of the opposing groups along the Bomadi waterways in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

Also, in Sagbama Local Government Area, there was a reported shoot out between the men of the Joint Task Force and some youths in which two youths were allegedly injured.

In Kolokuma-Opokuma Council Area, some aggrieved aspirants condemned the exercise, saying the party guidelines were not adhered to during the conduct of the primaries. Led by Hon Barry Ibarakumo Ikosomi, Cdr.

Koku Imananagha (rtd), Christian K. Akuraku and Angalapele Imomotimi, the aspirants insisted that the state PDP Chairman was supposed to constitute the state election committee for the council election and make a publication duly signed to this effect but that no committee was constituted and no letter emanated to that effect from him.

They also noted that a returning officer for each local government was supposed to be made public 24 hours to the election, which was not done.

The aggrieved aspirants further stated that the venue of the congress, list of chairmanship aspirants screened and cleared by the party and the delegates were supposed to be made public and pasted at conspicuous places for everybody to see.

They added that the PDP constitution further provides that, where elections were conducted, the results were supposed to be ratified by the state party executive committee before announcement.

Also reacting to the primaries, a member of the House of Representatives, Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Hon. Seriake Dickson, said the lawmakers in Abuja were not part of the primaries.

However, a PDP source stated that the affected PDP members disenfranchised themselves for the reason best known to them, arguing that as delegates, by the virtue of their election, they were supposed to be in attendance.

Contacted, the estranged state chairman of the party, Abadi, distanced himself from the primaries, saying, “I have been driven away from Yenagoa.”