THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), aspirant for Kolokuma, Opokuma, Yenagoa Federal Constituency in the forthcoming general election, Engr. Udengs Eradiri yesterday, alleged that some incumbent members of the House of Representatives have been threatening delegates to vote for them.
Udengs further alleged that the said aspirants carry out the threat under the guise that they have been endorsed by the governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson.
Udengs disclosed this during a press briefing after he led a protest to the party Secretariat in Yenagoe to call on the governor and the party leadership to caution such individuals and also ensure they create an enabling environment for internal democracy to strive.
According to the former Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) President, PDP was able to hold the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a standstill in Osun State because of the popularity of the candidate that emerged from its primaries , stressing that the case in Bayelsa should not be anything different if the party wishes to win in the general election.
“So what am saying here, in essence, is that the stride of PDP in Osun State was as a result of the masses supporting the candidate because the candidate came out of a free and fair process conducted by our governor?
“But here in Bayelsa State aspirants are going about not soliciting for support, but threatening delegates, with the help of by certain individuals who feel they are more PDP than some of us.
“They are going about threatening delegates that you must vote for candidates that have been endorsed by governor whereas the governor did not endorse such candidates.
“So they are using the governor’s name and that of the party to spread falsehood. So I am calling the attention of the governor to this matter because this kind of politics must stop. Some of them carrying out these threats are serving members of the National Assembly who are very unpopular that want to win the election by force.
“They have not done anything, they want to go for Senate and they think the only way to get a senatorial seat is by pairing their unpopular self with a certain popular candidate.
“Why would they be threatening delegates to cajole them to unpopular candidates that will make the party lose the general election? And that was why the protest was taken to the party leadership which we believe will deal with it.
“We have protested to the governor before and the governor had warned. It’s like some of them have not gotten that warning clearly. As a party faithful and member who believe in free and fair process, that is why I raised the complaint.”