Some House of Assembly aspirants under the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, have staged a protest over alleged refusal of the party to issue them forms after they had reportedly made payments.
The aspirants, numbering over 40, who stormed the party’s office in Port Harcourt, yesterday, with their bank drafts and tellers to demand for their forms, accused the party of denying them the forms.
The angry party members said they had paid for form into a certain bank account provided for them by the party and were directed to come to the party’s office yesterday to collect the forms with their bank drafts.
They expressed regrets that when they got to the office that nobody was in the office to attend to them, noting that the act was deliberate.
LoveGod Ihueze, one of the aspirants expressed displeasure over the development, questioning why they would pay for forms but no one would be around to give it to them.
Another aspirant, Kinika Ogbu, who expressed worry, 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.”
Similarly, Soprala Batubo, an aspirant, 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.”
When contacted, the spokesman of the party, Mr. 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,” he said.
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