Few days after the declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan for the presidential race, a group from his home state, Bayelsa has raised alarm that the president’s ambition could be sabotaged in the state.
The group, which addressed a press conference in Abuja yesterday, under the aegis of Bayelsa PDP Stakeholders, alleged that the votes of Bayelsa delegates for the presidential primary could be a nullity, as the party executive in the state was not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Spokesperson of the group, Chief Furoebi Akene, accused Bayelsa State Governor, Timipire Sylva, of high handedness despite entreaty of the Peoples Democratic Party National Working Committee for a fresh congress.
Akene recalled that INEC had in a letter dated, June 23, 2010 and signed by the Secretary of the Commission, Alhaji Abdullahi Kaugama, listed Bayelsa as one of the states, where its congresses were annulled.
“You will agree with us that at times like this when political activities have reached fever pitch, there is need for all and sundry to apply justice and fair play.

“As loyal party members, we are worried that the present state of affairs in the party in Bayelsa State is extremely precarious. INEC has repeatedly warned that the PDP candidates that will emerge from states (Bayelsa inclusive) where congresses were not conducted, or improperly conducted in year 2008 will not be recognised. The consequence of this is obvious: it will spell doom for our great party at the general elections.”
The group alleged that Governor Sylva was planning to handpick delegates for the party primary despite the avowed commitment of the national secretariat for a level-playing field.

“Political developments and the situation of the party executive in the state clearly indicate the ominous sign that His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, Governor of Bayelsa State and his handpicked nominees will automatically be returned as PDP candidate without a level playing field.”


in clear contradiction to Mr President commitment to conduct of free, fair and credible elections.
Specifically we have been informed that the executives at the ward, local government and state levels who will be delegates in the forth coming primaries of the party remain those the NWC and the INEC have long declared not duly elected”.

The group raised alarm that the Bayelsa Governor alleged intransigence on going ahead with a discredited executive of the party has dire consequence for the ambition of President Jonathan and called for suspension of party primary in the state.

“If an agency of government says what you want to do isn’t known to law, then, it is a nullity. If you insist, it shows high handedness and disobedience to law.
If an executive isn’t known to law and every action taken by the body isn’t known to law, that means our votes for presidential primary could be a nullity. It goes to show that somebody wants to sabotage President Jonathan bid for PDP presidential ticket Therefore, it will be foolhardy at this time for anybody including Mr President to discountenance such an important matter in this very crucial period.

With the foregoing, we look forward to a rocket-speed resolution of this matter while also appealing to the NWC to suspend all primary election in Bayelsa state pending the resolution of this matter.”
Other members of the group that addressed the press conference held
at Bolingo Hotel, Abuja were the former Deputy governor of Bayelsa
State, Honourable Peremobowei Ebebi, Chief Fred Agbedi,among others.




http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/sept/21/national-21-09-2010-013.htm