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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Aggrieved House of Assembly aspirants of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Rivers State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest alleging refusal of the party to issue them forms after they had made payments.
Over 40 aspirants stormed the party’s office in Port Harcourt, with their bank drafts and tellers to demand for their forms, accusing the party of denying them forms.
The acclaimed party members said they had paid for form in a certain bank account provided for them by the party and were directed to come to the party’s office on Wednesday to collect the forms with their bank drafts
They (aspirants) alleged that when they got to the office, nobody was in the office to attend to them, saying that it was an intentional act.
One of the aspirants, who gave his name as LoveGod Ihueze, expressed displeasure over the development, asking why they would pay for forms, but no one was around to give them forms.
Another aspirant, Kinika Ogbu, wondered why the party would issue just a single form for Assembly slots, saying that there was no time that the party agreed to go on consensus.
Ogbu demanded that their forms should be given to them since they had already paid for them.
He said: “I have my drafts here, so are others. We have done the right thing. We have gone to bank to get our drafts, the next thing is for the party to give us forms, but they are denying us. I have fulfilled all the necessary requirements.
“Having purchased this draft, I am entitled to forms, both the Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms. We are party faithful. We are credible members of the PDP. It is our forms we want, so we can partake in a fair contest. On getting here now, they said the forms are not available.
Similarly, Soprala Batubo, an aspirant, said they had tried to get the forms in Abuja on Tuesday, but were advised by the National Financial Secretary of the PDP to go to their state to get the forms.
Batubo said: “We were at the secretariat of our national party yesterday, to pick our forms but the Financial Secretary advised that we go to our state, Rivers State, to get the form. Noticing our reluctance, he called the State Chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, who assured him that the forms are available. Today now, the State Chairman and others are nowhere to be found.
When contacted, the spokesman of the party, Sydney Tambari Gbara, said the party does not know the protesters, noting that those who purchased forms had been issued all necessary documents.
Gbara said: “In the first place, we don’t know who those people are because those who actually paid into our account to buy forms have been issued forms, intent and nomination forms.
“We don’t really know where these people are coming from. I will be in the office tomorrow, maybe by the time they come, they will give us details on how the papers they are brandishing, how they got it.
“We too will be able to furnish the public with our account, we used in selling nomination forms let’s see. I can inform you in good authority that they never paid their money in PDP Rivers State Chapter account. Those who did that have been issued forms.”
