By Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Ahead the December 5 Bayelsa West Senatorial bye-election, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and the All Progressive Congress(APC) are bickering over the Court judgment which disqualified the APC candidate, Peremobowei Ebebi from contesting the election.
Former governor of the state, Chief Henry Seriake Dickson who is the candidate of the PDP in the election said Ebebi is not qualified to contest the election according to the Court.
Dickson who insisted that Ebebi is not electable going by requisite qualifications said the electorate should disregard what it called computer printout which listed Ebebi’s name among the candidates for the election.
According to Dickson, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which conducts the election has declared that Ebebi’s name has been struck out from the list of contestants noting that it was not PDP’s fault that APC presented unqualified candidate.
However the APC through the leader of the party in the state and the Minister of Petroluem, Chief Timpre Sylva maintained that APC would participate in the election.
Sylva who spoke at the party secretariat in Yenagoa said Dickson is having sleepless nights because of APC candidate and is seeking refuge in the judiciary to stop Ebebi’s from contesting.
“We are very certain that the Appeal would right the wrongs of the lower court. The APC would be on the ballot on the 5th of December. Ebebi is eminently and popular enough to win the election and all of us know that and that is why the former governor is not able to sleep and he is pursuing him with the judiciary.”
Also speaking Ebebi expressed optimism that he would contest the election and defeat Dickson because he has the backing of the people.
“The judgment would be overturned. And there is no reason why we would not be on the ballot. I believe the electorate of Bayelsa West would vote for me en masse. I want to appeal to them not to allow fake news and court judgments to affect their reasoning.”