Youth Vanguard, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South-South, has advised Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa to allow the party’s candidate in November governorship poll to emerge through free and fair primary election.
In a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, Chairman of the group, Mr James Akpofure, said that the governor and the state chapter of the party should provide a platform for delegates to choose the candidate.
He particularly called on Dickson and PDP Chairman in the state, Mr Cleopas Moses, not to destabilise the party, adding that rather than impose someone of the party, they should discuss with all aspirants and produce a consensus candidate.
Akpofure said that the advice was necessary following a report alleging that Moses had openly endorsed a preferred candidate of the governor, a development which, according to him, is generating anger among other PDP aspirants in the state.
He cautioned that the governor should strive not to go the way of former governors of Ogun and Imo, whose preferred candidates lost the last governorship elections because they wanted to foist them on the people.
“If they know that they have anointed a candidate why did they allow other aspirants to pick forms that cost about N21 million?
“It is not fair for the governor and the state chairman to give people hope, only for them to dash it when it mattered most,” he said.
Akpofure said with the way the two party chieftains in the state were going, it may destroy the party’s chances in the Nov. 16 election.
“The governor should allow all aspirants to go into the field and fight it out and the best will emerge.
“We can still recall that during PDP National Convention in Port Harcourt last year, some of the governors were rooting for Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwa, but he lost.
“The governor should note that the best aspirant, who the people love will emerge when all of them are allowed to fight it out in the primary,” he said. (NAN)
