Rivers Assembly aspirants protest denial of forms by PDP

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Some aspirants for Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday stormed the State Secretariat of Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Port Harcourt with allegations that they have been denied the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms after making the necessary payments.

The aspirants, displayed evidence of payment to journalists said they were disappointed that no member of the state executive of the party was around to issue the forms to them after making the payments.

Speaking at the party’s secretariat along Port Harcourt -Aba expressway, the aggrieved aspirants demanded explanations on why they were being denied their rights to contest under the platform of the party they are bonafide members of.

One Hon. Kinikawo Ogbu, who said he is aspiring to contest for Emohua State Constituency seat told journalists that he came to Secretariat with his co-contestants and party supporters but they were disappointed that members of Rivers state executive of PDP were not available to issue the forms to them.

Also, Uche Nwauju, another aspirants also spoke about his inability to obtain the forms for the election after he had paid.

He said, “We should be allowed to contest and test our popularity through party primaries as those practicing democracy”.

However, the party said that those protesters at its state Secretariat were not its members.

The party Publicity Secretary, Sydney Gbara alleged that the protesters were “hired to disrupt the ongoing sales of expression of interest and nomination forms”.

He said all those who paid into PDP’s bank account have been issued forms.

“They did not pay any money into the Account of Peoples Democratic Party for the Expression of Interest forms and Nomination forms. All those our members who paid into our account have all been issued forms. Those who are still paying into our account we are issuing them forms.For people protesting,we don’t know them, they’re not out members”, Gbara said.