CRISIS rocking the Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Tuesday, as some aggrieved governorship aspirants of the party, preparatory to Saturday's primary, concluded that the ward congress held on Monday was a sham, just as they called for the conduct of a fresh exercise.Irked by what they described as unwholesome conduct of the ad hoc delegate congress by the party's officials from the national secretariat, Abuja, the aggrieved aspirants pushed for the outright cancellation of the ward congress, in the spirit of justice and fair play.While addressing a press conference in Yenagoa, on Tuesday, the aspirants, namely Messrs Christopher Enai, Boloubo Orufa and Austine Febo, contended that 'the ad hoc delegate congress scheduled for Monday in Bayelsa State did not take place in any of the 105 wards in the state.'While decrying the actions of the party representatives from Abuja and the claim by Honourable Seri-ake Dickson, one of the gubernatorial aspirants, that the exercise took place, Enai, who spoke on behalf of the other aggrieved aspirants, said 'we deny and refute the claims by Honourable Dick-son and his agents, purporting that the ward congress took place.'However, five of the seven aspirants cleared to contest in the primary stormed the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, on Tuesday, to protest the conduct of the ad hoc ward delegates congress of the party.They claimed that the congress, which was scheduled for Monday, did not take place, but were surprised to hear the claims that it had indeed been held.The aspirants who protested at the Wadata Plaza, Abuja secretariat of the PDP, were Enai, Orufa, Febo, Chief Francis Amaebi Doukpola and Fred Korobido Ekiyegha.However, as insinuations in certain quarters have continued that the PDP acted out the script of President Goodluck Jona-than in disqualifying incumbent Governor Timipre Sylva from participating in the primary, ahead the 2012 governorship poll in the state, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Ali Gulak, has cleared the president off the travails of the governor.Alhaji Gulak, responding to a question put to him by the Nigerian Tribune, while addressing a press conference in Abuja, said Jonathan did not have any hand whatsoever in what transpired regarding the Bayelsa politics.He said the president had, instead, left the party to do what it considered right.Alhaji Gulak insisted that Jonathan did not interfere with the workings of the party, adding that once the party took a decision on any issue, the president would not interfere.The presidential aide said allegations against Jonathan were expected, noting that contrary to insinuations, the president believed in giving level playing field to persons who wanted to participate in the forthcoming Bayelsa gubernatorial election.
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