Monday, November 10, 2014

Row In Bayelsa Over Automatic Ticket

L-R; PDP National Chairman Adamu Mu’uazu, President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo during the Collection of President Nomination Form at the party secretariat in Abuja on Thursday. (Source: The Nation)


A row is brewing in Bayelsa State over automatic tickets pact with Senators by President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

There were indications yesterday that Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and stakeholders in the state may reject the pact.
Most stakeholders have protested to the governor not to allow the pact to disrupt the power sharing formula in the state.
But some stakeholders led by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Kombowei Benson have welcomed the pact and wanted it across board.
The Speaker and the lawmakers have dumped the agreement reached with the Dickson-led Restoration Caucus and demanded that they be returned automatically in 2015.
Investigation revealed that the governor and stakeholders had reached agreement not to concede re-election tickets to National Assembly members as well as state lawmakers in 2015.
Dickson designed a zoning formula across the state for elective offices in 2015 because some of the lawmakers had completed their second term in office.
The affected National Assembly members are Senators Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central), Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa West) and Clever Ikisikpo (Bayelsa East). Those in the House of Representatives are Foingha Jephthah (Nembe/Brass), Henry Ofongo (Southern Ijaw), Warman Ogoriba (Yenegoa/Kolokuma-Opokuma), Dr Stella Dorgu (Sagbama/Ekeremor) and Nadu Karibo (Ogbia).
But last Thursday, the deal was said to have altered the power equation in the state fuelling protests and pressure on the governor.
It was learnt that there had been pressure on the governor to reject the deal in spite of the fact that it would affect some loyalists of the President.
The anger of the stakeholders in Bayelsa allegedly stemmed from the audacity of some National Assembly members who conducted parallel ward congresses.
A source in Bayelsa, who spoke with reporters in Abuja yesterday said:  “We are watching events as they unfold; I think at our end in Bayelsa State, whatever agreement the president must have reached with the senators is unlikely to have any binding effect on us because Bayelsa State is peculiar.
‘When we heard the news, some of us tried to know from the governor if it was true but he assured us that none of the National Assembly members affected by the zoning will return even if an agreement has been reached in Abuja; in fact, he was very angry and livid.
“This matter is not for the president to discuss with the Senators because most of them, especially those from Bayelsa, cannot even win their wards.
“This time around, we will impress it on the president to stay away from this because we are tired of this back and forth.
“As far as we are concerned, Abuja cannot decide for us in Bayelsa.
Here, we have a leader of the party who is the governor and self-seeking National Assembly members cannot hide under the presidency to return to their businesses under the guise of aspirations.
The state lawmakers led by the speaker, Hon. Kombowei Benson have also demanded automatic return ticket in 2015.
“They are trying to impose candidates on us in the state; we will no longer accept this trend.”
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information Deacon Markson Fafegha has denied any knowledge of such moves by the governor to foist his cronies on the party. “To the best of my knowledge, the governor has provided a level playing field for every contestant in the party.”

No comments: