Thugs Engage Police in Street Battle in Bayelsa

 Street Battle in Bayelsa

By Segun James in Yenagoa

Hell was let loose in the streets of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, as suspected political thugs engaged men of the Nigeria Police Force in an all-out battle at the state secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during a bid to hijack election materials for the House of Representatives primaries on Saturday.

The state commissioner of police, Ntomchukwu, the state chairman of the PDP, Col. Sam Inokoba, his state secretary, Mathew Keku and some newsmen were trapped inside the secretariat building as the battle raged for almost two hours with residents of the neighbouring red-light district taking to their heels for dear lives.

During the battle, the suspected thugs held the members of the Electoral Committee of the party deployed to the state for the conduct of the primaries hostage.

The PDP Election Committee members led by Gen. Idi Adamu as Chairman, Yeye Bola Dare, Zanna Mustapha, Alaye Don Pedro and John Idoko as Secretary were held hostage at the PDP Secretariat for hours.

The incident triggered pandemonium as politicians who had congregated at the secretariat to witness the distribution of materials scampered into the surroundings. This occurred about noon.

According to a journalist who was trapped in the crossfire, Mrs Joy Bello, the thugs arrived the PDP Secretariat in a white Siena space wagon and armed with dangerous weapons including guns

THISDAY

TROUBLE IN PDP: PDP Govs Angry With Jonathan, Mu’azu, Mark Over Botched 2015 Deal

The outcome of botched agreements between governors elected on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and the party leadership as well as President Goodluck Jonathan may set the stage for a showdown with the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and senate president David Mark
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As part this showdown, the PDP governors would meet with President Jonathan on Tuesday night, apparently to get further assurances and commitment from him before his ratification at the December 10 national convention of the PDP.

THISDAY learnt that one of the south east states has concluded plans to defect to the opposition All Progressives Party (APC).

The governor in question is the Ebonyi state governor, Martin Elechi, and his grouse is that he has been stopped from presenting his preferred anointed successor ( Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu) for next year’s governorship election in the state

His albatross comprises a former governor of the state and a high-ranking member of the Federal Executive Council member.

THISDAY

SECURITY FORCES BARRED CANDIDATES FROM PARTICIPATING IN SAGBAMA-EKEREMOR FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY PDP PRIMARY

Two Empty Seats Arc Bribene & Hon Binabo were supposed to sit on

Th e last has not been heard of the Peoples Democratic Party Primary for the Sagbama-Ekeremor Federal Constituency as reports reaching Sayelba Times from Sagbama indicate that 2 candidates contesting for that same seat were denied entry into the town where the primary was held.

According to Arc Miebi Bribena a native of Agbere Town, who is also one of the candidates, he and another son of Sagbama Local Government Area, a former Acting Governor of the state and ex Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Nestor Binabo were stopped by heavily armed Security men from entering Sagbama Town.

Arc Bribena used our sister Platform, SAYELBA, to register his preliminary objection to the manner in which the Primary was conducted. In his words . “My humble self Arc. Miebi Bribena and Nestor Binabo were stopped from entering into Sagbama Town by heavily armed security operatives. Deliberately, they gathered only two candidates from Ekeremor LGA only participated in the phony exercise This was not an election and we are contesting it. What are they afraid of?”

It would be recalled that a former Chairman of the Bayelsa State chapter of the PDP and immediate past Political Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor was announced as the winner of the said Primary.

However, Arc Bribena pointed the attention to Bayelsans and the world to the TWO(2) conspicuously empty seats in the Candidates section of the Election hall, which was captured in a photo that is currently circulating in SAYELBA.