Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Governor Henry Seriake Dickson is to set to convene a crucial meeting of stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take a final decision on the choice of running mate to the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Douye Diri.
An information that Senator Lawrence Ewrudjiakpo representing Bayelsa West in the Red Chambers as choice of running mate which leaked had polarised the party with some stakeholders of Bayelsa East and West at logger heads over the issue.
Dickson in a move to douse the tension created by the choice of the running mate in a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) Fidelis Soriwei said the PDP stakeholders meeting which would have in attendance former President Goodluck Jonathan would take a final decision on the running mate before the September 23 deadline for the substitution of candidate.
Dickson who advised PDP members and supporters to be calm and focused said that a final decision on the issue of running mate would be taken after exhaustive consultations and deliberations with the critical stakeholders.
While urging the PDP members in the state to avoid playing into the hands of the opposition All Progressives Congress which according to him carries the heavy burden of an unmarketable gubernatorial candidate he added that the APC which is not on the ground was only banking on violence and the federal might to kill innocent voters during the elections.
Meanwhile the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has clarified its stand over the PDP running mate controversy declaring that it has no special interest in any political party, governorship or running mate candidates.
The Chairman of the IYC Central zone, Mr Kennedy Olorogun who stated this in a statement he personally signed said IYC “is for all the governorship candidates that have the Ijaw struggle and nation at heart.”
Olorogun disclosed that after wide consultation “we will engage all the governorship candidates and their running mates publicly to know those that have good plans and manifestos for Ijaw youths in the zone.”
He urged the public to disregard reports of those he described as “impostors“issuing statements in the name of IYC to reject a running mate.
“The council equally used this opportunity to advise Ijaw youths not to allow themselves to be used as tools of electoral violence by politicians because as youths we are the leaders of today and tomorrow, and as such we always apply the intellectual approach of tackling issues at hand than carrying weapons that will tarnish our reputation” Olorogun said