We are not manipulating Bayelsa governorship primaries ― PDP

Ahead of governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday dismissed the speculations making the round over the alleged manipulations of its primaries for the selection of its candidate in Bayelsa State by its National Working Committee (NWC).

Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan described such allegations as false, misleading and calculated attempt to cause confusion among the members of the party in the state ahead of the poll, advising all the aspirants and party members to disregard such dangerous and damaging rumours.

According to him, “the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is very procedural and we won’t allow the party to be stampeded into taking actions that will negate the principles of our party as a democratic party.

“Therefore, the process is on and the party has not reached any conclusion in respect to issues raised concerning those elected into office, either as chairmen or councillors in Bayelsa State. The party is still holding meetings in respect of this based on a petition received from one of the aspirants on the matter.

“It is absolutely misplaced for anybody or any group of people, to come together and say that the party has taken a decision and also make allegations that the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secodus had played a role in whatever form in that process.

“We have constituted committees to go and conduct the three ad-hoc delegates election. And I can clearly say that the governor who chairs those committees, to the best of their ability was wonderful in their performance. As such other processes will follow

“Also, the party has a channel where there are grievances, there are channels that members and aspirants can explore when there are grievances. We have the appeal committees at every level of our internal democracy. So if there are issues or grievances, the aspirants or members should recourse to the appeal panels rather than coming out to make frivolous allegations.

“We run a political party that is very democratic and that is open, that is transparent, that is clear in its content and decisions. And as such we do not envisage that any member of our party or any aspirants on the platform of our party will instigate an internal crisis in our party.

“On the issue of Bayelsa, the state is a traditional home of the PDP, we are in democracy so APC have right to run an election, but there is no way that the people seeing what is happening in Nigeria today across states and FCT, looking at the massive failure of the APC and its government, seeing the way they have reduced Nigerians to beggars will now begin to gravitate towards APC, Bayesians will not do that.

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“Where we have issues internally as a party we can assure our members and the entire Nigerians we will ensure that democratically such issues are resolved. However, we will rather advise APC not to waste Nigeria trader monie in Bayelsa State under the guise of scouting for votes.”

While assuring that the PDP would remove the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello as a united political party at the poll, Ologbodiyan said, “there is no division in the PDP Kogi State.”

According to him, “what is happening is a normal democratic order, where interests contend, it’s normal. So there is no difference in the area that those who are making these vicious allegations are suspected. Whoever the PDP in Kogi elects as their candidate in governorship election will surely defeat Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state democratically

“So the people have been energized in Kogi state. They have seen suicide, they have seen none payment of salaries, they have seen a government that works for four years and yet they have no single project. They have seen looting, as such the people themselves are ready to vote out governor Yahaya Bello

“For outsiders who do not understand the character of Kogi people, this could mean something. The people of Kogi state are already fed up with Yahaya Bello.

“We are talking about a governor who couldn’t pay pension running to years, some of our parents in Kogi State are being owed to the tune of 39 months pension, as we speak there are arrears of salaries that have not been touched, people have been sacked for no just reasons from their places of work, the economy of the state have nosedive because civil servants who are supposed to ginger the economy of the state are not paid.

“So is a system where the people are just waiting for who to rescue them. And the PDP will provide a better alternative to Yahaya Bello, so naturally the people of Kogi State will vote for PDP. The party is intact and we are all working towards a singular purpose of putting an end to the maladministration and the misrule of governor Yahaya Bello.”