Bayelsa guber: Senator slams Jonathan, PDP leadership

According to post found at: http://sunnewsonline.com/new/bayelsa-guber-senator-slams-jonathan-pdp-leadership/

…APC holds guber primary Sept 22

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

THE Senator Emmanuel Paulker governorship cam­paign organisation has slammed former President Goodluck Jonathan and the national leadership of the party over the controversy trailing his disqualification from the 2015 governorship race

Paulker, who was denied clearance by the screening committee and subsequently appealed, also had his appeal thrown out, thereby effec­tively shutting him out of the Bayelsa Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries slated for Septem­ber 24.

Director- General of the campaign organisation, Dr Ayakeme Whisley at a press briefing said it was unfor­tunate that the same PDP, which allowed Paulker fly its flag for the Senate seat six months ago would, on a flimsy excuse of tax papers, be barred from contesting the primaries.

Whiskey blamed Jona­than and the national lead­ership of the party for Paulker’s disqualification, regretted that while the op­position All Progressives Congress ( APC) in the state has opened its doors for all its19 governorship aspirants to contest the primaries, the PDP has shut its doors firmly against its governorship as­pirants .

Meanwhile, governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Par­ty (PDP), Rueben Okoya has denied that former president, Goodluck Jonathan forced him to withdraw from the Bayelsa PDP governorship race.

Okoya had shocked his supporters and political as­sociates when he withdrew from the race, citing party supremacy.

His action had attracted condemnation from his sup­porters, who accused him of betraying them.

He told newsmen in Yen­agoa yesterday, that hinged his decision to bow out of the governorship race on party supremacy and loyalty to friendship.

He disclosed that he only respected the desire of the party to give the governor­ship ticket to Dickson be­cause he is a pole position to win the seat for the party.

His words: “Contrary to the story making the rounds that I was pressurised to withdraw by former Presi­dent Goodluck Jonathan or that I was paid money to step down for Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, let it be known that I only respected the publicly stated desire of the party to give its ticket to the incumbent as the person best placed to secure victory for PDP. I withdrew honour­ably. After due consultations with my teeming supporters and core advisers, I also de­cided to remain in the PDP to give my support to the party. I refused to defect to another party because of my principled belief and resolve to be a faithful and loyal party man.”

Meanwhile, the All Pro­gressives Congress (APC) in the state has re-scheduled its governorship primary to September 22, after it was postponed from the initial September 19 date.