There was confusion yesterday among Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
They insisted on producing the Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency’ candidate of the party in the National Assembly primaries.
It was learnt that their agitation for the party’s ticket created panic among other PDP stakeholders in the Bayelsa East Senatorial District.
The senatorial district comprises Nembe, Brass and Ogbia local government areas.
But the stakeholders, under the aegis of Peoples Front for Good Governance (PFGG), said they had been marginalised in the distribution of political offices.
According to them, they will no longer allow the dominance of the Nembe.
The President of the stakeholders, Ebiegberi Edwards, argued that the Nembe Bassambiri had held the House of Representatives slot for 12 years.
He said a charter of equity among members of PDP in the district stipulated that the political position should rotate among Twon Brass and Ogbolomabiri Nembe; Akassa, Okpoama, Okoroma/Tereke; Odioama and Oluasiri Minikesi.
The spokesman said the position had somewhat become “the birthright” of the people of Nembe Bassambiri.
Edwards said the occupant of the seat, Fonigha Jephthah, who hails from Nembe, should allow their candidate, Ateki Joseph, from Brass.
The spokesman said Joseph had promised to bring articulate, focused, competent and intelligent representation to the people.
He said: “The selfish interest of individual members of the party is about to destroy the good work of Governor Dickson in the federal constituency.
“We won’t allow any attempt to impose a candidate on us in the forthcoming National Assembly elections. We are calling on the leadership of the PDP at the national level and in Bayelsa State to address the imbalance in the political equation of the area.
“This is the only way justice and fairness can be guaranteed during the 2015 Assembly elections in the state.
“It is illogical and ill-conceived to ask Brass Local Government Area to relinquish its rights – politically – in this present dispensation, having supported other areas in the constituency since 1999.
“Those who want Brass to be marginalised are bias towards Brass, especially after they have benefitted from the same supposed zoning arrangement to become members of either the Senate or House of Representatives over the years.
“Nembe Bassambiri has held the House of Representatives’ seat cumulatively for 12 years of three tenures with different people for a position that is supposed to rotate among Twon Brass and Ogbolomabiri Nembe, Akassa, Okpoama, Okoroma Tereke, Odioama, Oluasiri Minikesi, among others.
“We are crying to our governor and imploring him to intervene to avert a looming crisis in the area.
“Nembe Bassambiri has had the Representatives’ seat for four tenures, with each person serving one term while Brass has had it for one single term through Akassa.
“Therefore, it is only natural that the House of Representatives seat, which ordinarily should rotate between Nembe and Brass, should come to Brass this time round.
“In the midst of the controversies, one person, who has kept calm and focused on building on the good work of the present administration, is Ateki Joseph. He has promised to bring articulate, focused, competent and intelligent representation to the people.
“He has successfully been cleared to contest the PDP primaries against the incumbent Foingha Jephthah. Joseph is a young, brilliant London-trained lawyer.
He is well informed, visionary and focused. He has not been tainted in all the political imbroglios happening in the state.
“He is close to the youths and all the stakeholders seem to prefer him over and above the incumbent who they say has not done anything for them in all these years.”
