From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

A major crack has hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State over the Bayelsa West Senatorial District seat ahead of the 2023 elections.

This is even as appointees of Governor Douye Diri have ignored their principal’s warning to stay away from opening politicking as they have already taken sides thereby heating up the polity.

Findings indicated PDP members in Bayelsa West have been caught in the brewing political war in the area over moves by some chieftains of the party that wants former governor and incumbent Senator, Henry Seriake Dickson from Sagbama Local Government Area to retain the seat and those that wants the seat to rotate to Ekeremor Local Government Area in line with the zoning arrangement.

Ekeremor Elders Stakeholders Forum of the PDP opposed to Dickson or any other Sagbama politician from contesting the Senate had over the weekend fired a petition to the State PDP insisting that the zoning agreement for National Assembly between Sagbama and Ekeremor should be strictly followed for 2023.

The forum led by Chief Martins Agbede who presented a copy of the zoning agreement to the state party executives warned the party against throwing caution to the wind because it is the turn of Ekeremor to produce someone for the Senate seat.

The deputy chairman of the forum and former Bayelsa’s governor representative to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Donald Daunemughan called on the party to uphold the zoning agreement to maintain peace and harmony in Bayelsa West.

Related News

Meanwhile to counter the Agbede led Ekeremor PDP Stakeholders, other stakeholders in support of Dickson have disclaimed the zoning agreement and have thrown their weight behind Dickson.

The forum convened by the deputy speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon Michael Ogbere which also had in attendance the Executive Chairman of Ekeremor Local Government Area, Dr Bertola Perekeme passed a resolution to buy expression of interest and nomination forms for Dickson

Also in attendance at the meeting in total defiance of the directive of Diri against open politicking were the Commissioners for Transport, Mrs Grace Ekiotene and his Labour and Employment counterpart, Stanley Braboke.

The forum to demonstrate its seriousness about its resolution raised N10 million to buy the nomination form for Senator Dickson.

According to them the donation of the N10 million was in appreciation of the good deeds and developmental projects Senator Dickson has brought to the people of the area during his tenure as governor.

They noted that against all odds Dickson backed, supported and handed over to their son, Governor Douye Diri who is maternally from Ekeremor.

The forum implore the public to dismiss those it called mischief makers “bent on dividing the party with propaganda on purported zoning which has never been implemented or respected in the senatorial district at any time in history”