Bayelsa By-Election: Protest Rocks Yenagoa Over Aspirants’ Disqualification

Massive protests’, yesterday rocked Yenagoa, capital city of Bayelsa State as scores of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members took to the roads to kick against the disqualification of some aspirants vying for the party’s ticket for Bayelsa Central Senatorial district by -election.
The PDP Senatorial Screening Committee had on Wednesday disqualified former speaker and incumbent Majority leader of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon Monday Obolo Bobuo, former zonal youth leader of PDP, former Director- General of the Bayelsa State Geographical Integrated Services (BGIS), Hon Igo Assembly Goin and former Secretary to the State Government, Hon Gideon Ekuewei.
The protesters armed with placards with inscriptions such “We will not accept another 8 years of incompetence been imposed on us”, “We will resist unlawful disqualification”, “Sole candidate of PDP will fail”, “Disqualifying others to favour one will destroy our party”, “ Warning: Dickson and Diri should not kill PDP” alleged that former governor Henry Seriake Dickson was arm-twisting the screening committee to disqualify other aspirants to pave the way for the emergence of former PDP state Chairman, Hon Cleopas Moses as the sole candidate.
Supporters of the party criticised Diri for not standing up as the leader of the party in the state and protect the interests of all party members.
Investigations revealed that, while Bubuo was disqualified for non-proper membership of the PDP, Ekuewei who was believed to have been promised the ticket by Diri was disqualified for not possessing a valid passport photograph on his expression of interest form and Goin disqualified for alleged low performance in the activities of the party in the state.
The protesters armed with placards with inscriptions such “We will not accept another 8 years of incompetence been imposed on us”, “We will resist unlawful disqualification”, “Sole candidate of PDP will fail”, “Disqualifying others to favour one will destroy our party”, “ Warning: Dickson and Diri should not kill PDP” alleged that former governor Henry Seriake Dickson was arm-twisting the screening committee to disqualify other aspirants to pave the way for the emergence of former PDP state Chairman, Hon Cleopas Moses as the sole candidate.
Supporters of the party criticised Diri for not standing up as the leader of the party in the state and protect the interests of all party members.
According to investigations while Bubuo was disqualified for non-proper membership of the PDP, Ekuewei who was believed to have been promised the ticket by Diri was disqualified for not possessing a valid passport photograph on his expression of interest form and Goin disqualified for alleged low performance in the activities of the party in the state.