By Samuel Oyadongh
YENAGOA — The paramount ruler of Gbarain Kingdom, King Funpere Akah, and members of the elders council have waded into the impasse created by the emergence of two candidates on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the State House of Assembly bye-election for Yenagoa Constituency II with the conduct of a mock primaries that led to the emergence of Boloboua Orufa to represent the constituency.

Another aspirant from the area, Ebipadei Fekoweimo, had also laid claim to acceptability by the people for the Yenagoa constituency II bye-election into the House.

King Akah, it was learnt, gave Orufa his blessings at his palace at Nedugo-Agbia after the aspirant emerged winner of a mini-election conducted by the Council of Elders of Gbarain Kingdom for aspirants from communities within the Kingdom ahead of the bye-election.

Orufa, investigations revealed, is a former Chairman of Yenagoa Local Government Council and claimed to have emerged as the PDP candidate for the party in the state assembly election through a letter sent to INEC in the state by the National Secretariat of the party.

But the mock election, conducted by the Traditional Rulers council headed by King Akah, was reportedly ordered at a meeting between the Council of Elders of Gbarain Kingdom and the deputy governor, Werinipre Seibarugu, due to rising tension among indigenes and supporters of the six aspirants from the council area.
Presenting Orufa before the monarch, Chairman of the mini_election for the aspirants, Henry Jesse, stated that the process was thorough and transparent.

However, the camp of Ebipadei Fekoweimo faulted the mock primaries, insisting that he had the right to vie for the seat which was vacated by the former speaker and now deputy governor, Seibarugu, an indigene of Gbarain’s sister clan, Ekpetiama.

Although, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Thursday, August 12, 2010, announced the postponement of the bye_election indefinitely, it was gathered that both Orufa and Fekoweimo hailed from the same community, Obunagha, in Gbarain Kingdom.

The emergence of Orufa and Fekoweimo on the platform of the PDP had forced INEC to shift the bye_election earlier scheduled for August 14, 2010.

But while Orufa is allegedly backed by Bayelsa politicians in Abuja, Fekoweimo is said to have the support of Governor Timipre Sylva.

A source in the state chapter of the PDP told Vanguard that Orufa also had the blessings of the National Chairman of the party, Okwesilieze Nwodo, who had forwarded his name to INEC as the party’s candidate for the bye_election.

But the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Yenagoa Local Council, Comrade Edison Sorgwe, faulted such mock primaries, describing the issue of nomination of party candidates for election as the prerogative of the party and challenged the candidates to produce the form collected to vie for the flag of the party.

Comrade Sorgwe said:   “The traditional ruler is not a member of the PDP and cannot determine the emergence of the candidate of the party. If all the traditional rulers hand flags for aspirants, it means we will have more than enough aspirants laying claim to election victories.”