Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Ahead the governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, the PDP Youth Network (PDPYN) at the weekend cautioned governorship aspirants against causing crisis in party.
The group’s Secretary-General, Mr James Oputin, in a statement noted that the PDP youths are worried that the activities of some aspirants were affecting the existing unity and strength of the party.
According to him, some of the aspirants are already creating an impression of false rift within the PDP, particularly among party leaders, including former President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Henry Seriake Dickson.
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Oputin explained that, as critical stakeholders of the PDP, with members from all the wards of the state, the network expected party aspirants to unfold their agenda for the Bayelsa people by dealing solely with issues of development in the state.
He stated that the network had waited long enough to see how the interested aspirants would embrace the development exploits of the PDP administration in Bayelsa to promote their political intents and ambition.
While expressing shock that some of the aspirants are trying to malign the leadership of the PDP by portraying them as weak, the group urged them to remember that the party they abandoned when they were needed most in 2015, and which graciously admitted them back last year, was strong enough to win with or without them.
Oputin, who frowned at the silence of the aspirants to condemn the activities of the opposition in the last election, said it was unfortunate that the electoral loss of the PDP in Nembe Bassambiri and Bayelsa East in could be celebrated by aspirants seeking to use the party platform to contest the governorship elections.
The statement read in part:
“The Peoples Democratic Party Youth Network has watched with concern the unsavoury developments involving some of our aspirants in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
“As party members, we are not too young to remember how some of these aspirants ditched the PDP In 2015 when their contributions were desperately needed. In spite of the defection targeted to weaken the party, the PDP won that election without them.
“Since their return to the party which they abandoned and whose leadership graciously welcomed them back on compassionate ground, these set of aspirants have failed to cut the image of an people prepared to deal with issues of development and the needs of Bayelsa and her people.
“Also, they have not spoken about the desperation of the opposition and the violence that resulted in the sacking the people of Nembe Bassambiri from their community and the pitiable condition of the internally displaced persons from the crisis.”