Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has directed the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to deepen consultations to enable emergence of consensus candidates in the forthcoming local government elections.
The governor said the approach should be adopted and intensified to ensure a rancour-free local government election in the state.
It was gathered that already PDP leaders had commenced consultations in all the wards and local government areas of the state ahead of the election scheduled for July 27, 2019.
The State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Moses Cleopas, had in a press conference in Yenagoa said that candidates for the election would emerge through a transparent process of consultations.
He said such candidates would be selected by their party leaders based on their loyalty, sacrifice, dedication and contributions to the party with special interest in the principle of rotation especially for the positions of chairmen and councilors.
But Dickson urged party leaders to return to their communities to intensify the consultative meetings in consonance with the PDP’s style of leadership which had brought stability to the state and the party.
The governor in a statement signed at the weekend by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, advised all aspirants to consult their leaders in the various local government areas.
He stressed that there would be no room for rancorous primaries and warned aspirants to avoid unnecessary expenditure as a result of the forthcoming primaries and elections.
He said: “That there will be no rancorous contest and primaries. To build on the well-known capacity for managing the politics of the state which has brought stability to the state and the party?
“All those who want to aspire for various positions should consult with their leaders. The leaders should meet, ascertain their record to loyalty, hard work and contributions to the party and then shortlist them for the final ratification by the party leadership.
“So there will be no rowdy contest and those who want to contest should go and make their case to their leaders.”
Dickson also directed the leaders of the party to identify two persons, a male and female in each of the wards and seven other names comprising four men and three females for the Rural Development Areas, the Supervisory Councilors and Councilors.
He advised party members and aspirants to refrain from acts inimical to the interest of the party and to hold consultations with their leaders.