PDP Rep protests defeat at Bayelsa primaries

House of Representatives member, Mr Seriake Dickson has challenged the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State. He said the election held contrary to Section 87 of the 2010 Electoral Act and Article 17 of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) constitution as amended and the guidelines for the special congress.

Seriake, who lost to Williams Ofoni in a petition to the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, faulted the primaries which held at the Samson Siasia Sport Complex in Yenagoa, the state capital, instead of the headquarters of the Federal constituency.

'I write to remind you that the purported primary which returned Williams D. Ofoni were organized and supervised by the Government of Bayelsa state in contravention of Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010, Article 17 of the PDP constitution 2009 as amended and the guidelines all of which clearly require the conduct of the special congress or primaries to be held at the headquarters of the Federal Constituency or within the federal constituency.'

He alleged that the change of the venue to Yenagoa was made by the State government through a radio announcement few hours to the commencement of voting citing security reasons. According to him, this was done when all delegates had assembled at the constituency headquarters and that only few members honoured the radio announcement made by the Commissioner for Information. In a fresh petition to the Acting national chairman of the party yesterday, Seraike informed the party that he was not present at the Yenagoa congress because there was no basis for it.

On the qualification of his opponent, he told the acting chairman that the party was aware that Williams Ofoni was standing trial for forgery before a Magistrate court in Abuja in a case number AB/CMC/ 11/ CR87/2010.

'While the party is not to presume his guilt in the above trial, the letters from the National Youth Service Corps [NYSC] confirming falsification of his NYSC Certificate which also makes his age declaration false on the face value are sufficient grounds for disqualification based on the provisions of the PDP constitutions, guidelines and the written declaration in the nomination forms.'

Seriake, who is chairman of House committee on Justice, said that he would be heading for the court if the national headquarters failed to uphold the result of the primaries conducted at the constituency headquarters where he won by 350 votes against11 votes.