The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Bayelsa PDP

  • Fresh crisis hits Bayelsa PDP

    There is tension within the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State following the suspension of the state Chairman of the party, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd).

    There have been allegations of fraud and diversion of N40million of the N70million donated to the party by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke.

    The minister was said to have donated the money to assist the party in its plan to host the just-concluded presidential rally of PDP in the state.

    The chairman was suspended after the State Executive Committee deliberated on the report of a panel that probed the crisis.

    But the chairman denied his suspension and the allegation that he diverted presidential campaign fund.

    “The fund was distributed according to the directive of the donor and there is no way I would have diverted the money to my purse,” he said.

    Col. Inokoba said it was beyond the powers of the executive committee to sit and decide his fate.

    The Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Osom Macbere, confirmed the suspension.

    The Deputy Chairman of the party, King Serena Dokubo-Spiff, who is said to be warming up to become an acting chairman of the party was absent at the meeting.

  • Dickson 100% in support of Jonathan – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bayelsa State chapter, on Wednesday declared that the Governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, remained 100 per cent in support of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid.

    The party spoke while reacting to an advertorial questioning the loyalty of Dickson to Jonathan by a group under the aegis of the Niger Delta United for Jonathan (NDUJ).

    PDP in a statement signed by its state Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd), described the content of the advertorial as fallacies and product of a faceless group.

    He said the party would not have joined issues with non-existing group had the group made its allegations at normal times.

    “However, these are no ordinary times. We cannot pretend to be ignorant of the reality that with the increasing desperation of the opposition at the national and state levels- there is no telling how low certain elements will stoop in order to satisfy their paymasters,” he said.

    He said as a responsible state chapter of the largest political party in Africa, the Bayelsa PDP would not allow a few jesters to deceive party faithful and the general public that political leaders were at war.

    He said: “These opposition elements apparently think they can exploit the liberty of running to the media with tales of an imaginary crisis to drive a wedge between Her Excellency, Dame Patience Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson. They are dead wrong.

    “We in Bayelsa PDP are way too informed to be ignorant of the devices of the opposition. As a people-oriented party, we want to assure the general public that the state is peaceful, united and solidly behind our amiable governor.”

    Urging the public to disregard reports of crisis in the state, Inokoba said no amount of blackmail, mudslinging or propaganda against the governor could set him on collision course with Mr. President and the first family.

    He said the first family is wiser than the antics of the opposition and the objectives of such campaign of calumny.

     

  • ‘Dickson, First Lady’s feud splits Bayelsa PDP’

    The ambition of Dame Patience, wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, to kick Governor Seriake Dickson out of the Government House in Bayelsa State has clearly divided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

    It was observed on Tuesday that the party which hitherto paraded itself as a close-knit family had now split into two – Dickson’s and First Lady’s camps.

    The two camps are said to be separate and distinct as they try not to be found together in social and political gatherings.

    Persons found to be associating with Patience loyalists are viewed as haters of Dickson and vice versa.

    The Nation gathered that while the camp of Patience is wooing more loyalists of the governor to identify with its plot, the think-tank in Dickson’s camp is wary of the first lady’s moles.
    It was gathered that Dickson’s haters are President Jonathan’s loyalists from the Presidency and other Abuja-based politicians who are mainly members of the National Assembly from the state.

    First Lady’s bloc was said to have more disciples following the outcome of the just-concluded PDP primaries in the state.

    Party members who lost out of the contest have reportedly moved en masse to the anti-Dickson’s camp to ventilate their grievances.

     

  • Bayelsa PDP sets up panel to reconcile members

    The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has established a panel to reconcile members who are unhappy with the outcome of primary elections in the state.
    The panel saddled with the responsibility of calming frayed nerves is chaired by the Traditional Ruler of Opume Kingdom, King A.J. Turner.

    Other members of the panel are – the former acting Governor of the state, Chief Peremonowei Ebebi, former Political Adviser, Chief Thompson Okorotie and former Speaker of the old Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Talford Ongolo.

    Inaugurating the panel at the PDP’s secretariat in Yenagoa on Tuesday, the Chairman of the party, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd), acknowledged that the primaries had created many frayed nerves within the party.

    He said persons angry with the fallout of the internal elections were still members of the party and should be brought back to the PDP fold.

    He asked the panel to save the party from disintegration, adding that a divided house would not stand.

     

  • Bayelsa PDP: internal rift caused attack on secretariat

    The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the attack on its secretariat on the DSP Alamieyeseigha Expressway in Yenagoa, by irate youths.

    The party blamed the incident, which occurred on Saturday during the PDP’s House of Representatives primaries, on intra-party rivalry.

    Thugs carrying axes and other weapons, barricaded the secretariat and held hostage members of the electoral panel from Abuja to conduct the primaries.

    The mob vandalised the secretariat, pulling down the gate and shattering glass windows.

    In a statement at the weekend by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osom Jacob-Makbere, the party blamed members of the opposition within the PDP for being the attack.

    It described the PDP as a peaceful party, adding that it was surprised by the activities of some respected members of the party.

    The Bayelsa chapter regretted the use of youths to disrupt its primaries.

    The statement said: “The irate youths, in an attempt to hijack the election materials, forced their way into the building and ransacked the offices in search of election materials and other vital documents.

    “Having failed in their attempt to locate where the election materials were kept, they resorted to throwing missiles and other dangerous weapons, which led to the destruction of the party’s secretariat.

    “In order not to allow the situation to degenerate into a bloody clash, the security operatives handled the matter in a professional way, which is highly commendable.”

  • Plot to impose candidates unsettles Bayelsa PDP

    Plot to impose candidates unsettles Bayelsa PDP

    An alleged plot by some power brokers in Bayelsa East Senatorial District to pick a senatorial candidate has unsettled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    It was gathered that the seat was zoned  to Brass Local Government Area, which forms part of the district.

    The seat is occupied by Senator Clever Ikisipo, who hails from Kolo Creek in Ogbia Local Government Area.

    It was learnt that party elders from the district nominated entertainment guru Ben Murray-Bruce and retired General Manager (Human Resources) of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Daru Owei, for the slot.

    Murray-Bruce and Owei are from Akassa area of Brass, where the senatorial seat is said to have been zoned to.

    The power brokers will pick one of the candidates to represent them at the National Assembly election.

    However it would seem that Owei, who is on the board of the State Oil Company (BSOC), is the preferred candidate.

    Signs that some stakeholders were uncomfortable with the party’s position emerged yesterday.

    Some aggrieved stakeholders kicked against the alleged imposition of candidates by the PDP, saying the development was undemocratic and inimical to the party’s fortunes.

    A PDP stalwart from Akassa claimed that the candidates being considered to fill the position were “unknown political entities in the senatorial district.”

    The source, who pleaded for anonymity said: “The duo of Owei and Murray-Bruce are far removed from the people and there is no way they can win in a free and fair election.

    “These are real technocrats in their respective calling but they are neither easily accessible nor known by their own people at Akassa. “Well, we keep our fingers crossed as we wait to see more developments unfold.”

    But another stakeholder, Bomolaghon Ereku, said narrowing the choices to the two indigenes of Akassa was not a bad development in view of their level of exposure, proven track records and cognate experiences.

    The party’s State Secretary, Godspower Keku, said the party had not imposed any candidate on the people.

    He said the stakeholders of the area met to discuss the issue in line with their zoning arrangement.

    He insisted that the party did not have any hand in whatever that was happening.

    Keku said: “Zoning has been the practice of the district right from the time of Chief Melford Okilo when he was in the Senate. They allowed their senators to go for one term only.

    “It is just their standard, but for Central Senatorial district it is two tenures.

    “The constitution of the PDP clearly states that we must adhere strictly to zoning.”

    ‘We want our lawmakers back’

    A group, Bayelsa Development Foundation, has called for the re-election of senators Heineken Lokpobiri, Clever Ikisikpo and Paulker Emmanuel.

    The group’s President, Francis Wainwei, in a statement said it decided to support the senators’ re-election after its executive council meeting.

    “The senators should be allowed to consolidate on their achievements, adding that the state will benefit from their experience(s).

    “It was premised on the fact that there is no need to change a winning team. The aforementioned Senators are performing creditably at the National Assembly, hence the resolution to support their re-election,” he said.

  • Crisis over zoning deepens in Bayelsa PDP

    THE crisis rocking the Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened yesterday after a meeting by the elders, leaders and representatives of the 26 wards in the Bayelsa West senatorial district, as they distanced themselves from the decision of some major stakeholders of the party to apply zoning in the forthcoming elections.

    After the enlarged meeting, held in Yenagoa, the leaders and elders from the district passed a vote of confidence on the senator representing them at the national assembly, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri. Contrary to the decision of some party leaders that Lokpobiri should not be returned in 2015, the stakeholders endorsed the senator for reelection.

    The stakeholders queried the statements credited to the former PDP chairman in the state, Mr. Charles Dorgu, on zoning.

    They argued that the rally where Dorgu made the controversial statement was convened for the sole purpose of adopting President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson for a second tenure, insisting that the statements on zoning canvassed at the rally were clearly beyond the power, scope and authority of the event.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting yesterday, the stakeholders declared their support for Jonathan, Dickson and unanimously endorsed Lokpobiri for reelection.