PDP promises transparent primaries in Kogi, Bayelsa

The National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has assured that it would conduct free and transparent primaries for upcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa.

The Acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus, gave the assurance on Friday while receiving nomination form for the election from Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, who is seeking re-election.

According to Secondus, the NWC would ensure a process that would be acceptable to the people of Kogi and Bayelsa in its primaries.

“Today we affirm that we are going to keep to our rules and party’s Constitution.

“After the primaries, if you are successful we will come to Bayelsa to campaign with you. This party must be open to all; this party must be taken back to the grassroots,’’ he told Dickson.

In his remark, Dickson said he was optimistic that the PDP would win the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Bayelsa, saying “no other party has the kind of support that PDP enjoys in the state.

“You have seen my supporters from all parts of the state and this is a practical testimony of the support being enjoyed by PDP; Bayelsa is in safe hands of the PDP’’.

The governor said that with the calibre of leaders and stakeholders in the state who came with him to the party’s national headquarters, it was an indication that “no shaking for PDP in Bayesla”, insisting that he was not re-contesting on the basis of promises but on developmental projects and programmes he had done in the state.

Expressing confidence that the defection of some PDP members to another party was not going to affect his re-election, he dismissed the claim by some of the defected members that they had the support of elders, saying ‘’they are parading imaginary elders’’.

“It is not when a few people defect to other platforms that we will be affected. Political victory is achieved through concrete structures, not rented crowd,’’ Dickson said.

According to him, his achievements cut across all sectors, including healthcare, road, education and human development, in all local government areas of the states.

On his relationship with former First Lady Patience Jonathan, Dickson said that there was no rift between them.

“As a rule, I do not want to be talking about my elder brother’s wife. There is no rift between us and she is campaigning everywhere for my re-election,’’ he said.

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