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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)
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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.”
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