Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Seriake Dickson, has emerged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
His emergence, it was learnt, followed the disqualification of the governor’s two other contenders for the governorship ticket.
The disqualified aspirants, it was further learnt were the Senator representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, Senator Emmanuel Paulker and a former Local Government Chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, Chief Ebikintin Diongoli.
Reasons for their disqualification were yet to be ascertained but they were said to be disqualified On Saturday during their screening at the party’s zonal office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Confirming the successful screening of Dickson, State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Osom Makbere, said he was not aware of the reasons for their disqualification.
The spokesman, said, “All I know is that Governor Dickson was successfully screened. However, I am not aware of the statuses of the duo of Senator Emmanuel Paulker and Ebinkintin Diongoli.
“I only heard they were disqualified and I have not bothered to seek for reasons. For me those matters are inconsequential. The screening committee knew why it disqualified them.”
When asked whether there will still be a primary election since Dickson is the only man standing in the PDP, Makbere spoke affirmatively.
“There will still be primary. The fact that only one candidate registered for an exam or one person is qualified for an interview does not mean the interview or exam won’t go on. The party will still need to assess the intelligent quotient of their candidate. “
It was learnt that the duo of Paulker and Diongoli were not favourably disposed to their disqualification as they were said to have filed an appeal before the PDP’s Appeal Panel.
Sources close to Paulker and Diongoli said though the reasons for their disqualifications were not known, they claimed that the instruction for the contenders allegedly came from former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Also, a stalwart of the PDP in the state, who pleaded anonymity, claimed that the instruction from Jonathan was not for their disqualification.
“Jonathan told the party that there was no need for a rancorous governorship primary. His position was based on the fact that the party had gone through trying periods resulting in intra-party wrangling, divisions and defections of some members.
“The former President wants a united party behind the state governor against the candidate of the All Progressives Congress. His only concern is for us to be stronger and win the December 5 election by a landslide.”
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