PDP Holds Primaries For Councillors, Today

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today conduct primary electons for councillors in the 319 wards in Rivers State for the 2011 local government elections.

The party has also scheduled May 12 for the primaries of chairmen in the 23 local government areas of the state.

The primaries, party sources said were in connection with the guidelines released by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) ahead of the May 21 local government elections.

The  party had last week screened chairmanship aspirants at the state secretariat of the party in Port Harcourt while screening of councillors were conducted in the various local government party secretariats in March.

The state electoral body had in April announced May 21 as the new date for the 2011 local government elections.

Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack, Commissioner, Public Affairs and Civil Education said the commission was determined to hold the local government council elections after the conclusion of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 26th April, 2011.

Hon Walson-Jack explained that the local government elections were moved to May 21 due to the initial shift of the National Assembly elections from April 2, to April 9 which later affected other elections  dates in the country.

He warned political parties that are yet to conduct their primaries to do so before  May 16, 2011.