Crisis brews in PDP over Bayelsa LG poll

Crisis appears to be looming in the Peoples Democratic Party, Bayelsa State chapter, following the process adopted by the party to select its candidates for the forthcoming local government election in the state.
Our correspondent gathered that the internal wrangling had forced the Col. Sam Inokoba-led state executive council to postpone the party’s councillorship and chairmanship primaries initially scheduled for Monday.
President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have been confronted with knotty issues bordering on the election shortly after the funeral of his younger brother, Meni.
The President was said to have been inundated with complaints  that the process adopted by the party in selecting candidates for the elections was unfair and against due process.
He was said to have held a series of meetings with the stakeholders, who insisted that there was an attempt by Inokoba to shortchange them.
Some of the aspirants, who were screened out of the exercise, were said to have also accused the governor of the state, Seriake Dickson, of manipulating the process.
The aspirants, our correspondent gathered, were bent on fomenting trouble after the screening committee led by Chief Claudius Inegeson cleared only 36 of the 94 chairmanship aspirants that obtained forms for the primaries.
The incumbent Southern Ijaw Local Government Chairman, Mr. Felix Bonny-Ayah, was said to be angry that he was disqualified despite his contributions to the scuttling of former Governor Timipre Sylva’s second term ambition.
Bonny-Ayah, who considered the development as a betrayal of trust was reputed to have fought one of the main loyalists of Sylva and former Chairman of the council, Mr. Tiwe Orimughan, in a bid to ensure the election of Dickson.
Meanwhile, Dickson has asked the party to uphold the 35 per cent affirmative action for women in the forthcoming council polls.
He also insisted that women should have 35 per cent representation in non-elective positions at the grassroots.
Women, the governor said, should be appreciated for their roles in nation building.
Culled: Punchng