Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who are House of Assembly aspirants in Rivers State have protested the party’s alleged refusal to issue them forms despite payment.
The aggrieved aspirants numbering over forty stormed the party’s office in Port-Harcourt with their bank tellers saying they paid into bank accounts provided by the party but the party has refused to give them forms, Vanguard Reports.
They accused the party of deliberately refusing to give them the tickets as they met no one at the office to attend to them.
One of the aspirants, Kinika Ogbu said: “I have my drafts here, so do 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 the forms. 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, they said the forms are not available.”
Another aspirant, Soprala 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, Amb. Desmond Akawor, who assured us that the forms are available. Today, the state Chairman and others are nowhere to be found.”
Reacting to the incident, spokesman of the party in the state, Sydney Gbara, said: “In the first place, we don’t know who those people are because those who actually paid into our account for 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 they got the papers they are brandishing.
“We will be able to furnish the public with our account, we used in selling nomination forms, let’s see. I can inform you on good authority that they never paid their money to PDP Rivers State Chapter account. Those who did have been issued forms.”
