By John Ovie
The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the country has taken a new twist in Bayelsa state as two chairmen are now laying claim to the leadership of the major opposition political party in the state.
At the weekend, a faction of the PDP organised its state congress, electing a 20-man state working committee with George Turnah emerging as state chairman.
The election was monitored by observers including national electoral panel of the PDP led by one Austine Yeyesom and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Turnah led faction also inaugurated her state secretariat along Okutukutu in Yenagoa, the state capital with the new chairman, Turnah, claiming that the party is deeply rooted and has all it takes to win the next governorship election in the state.
The inauguration now marks the establishment of two distinct PDP secretariats in the Bayelsa state capital city, the other located at Okaka, both along the Isaac Boro Expressway.
Meanwhile, the other faction led by Solomon Agwana has insisted that there is no other faction of the peoples democratic party in Bayelsa state than the one he leads.
He claimed in a statement that the ward, local government and state congresses held by the Turnah led faction of the PDP remained illegal and lacking constitutional backing.
Agwana maintained that the Turnah led PDP violated the party’s constitution and due process, adding that the organisers of the congress lacked the authority of the party’s legitimate organs.
He alleged that the said congress was organised by individuals loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, stressing that the gathering did not represent the authentic PDP structure in Bayelsa state.
It could be recalled that both factions are in court to determine the authenticity of the PDP national convention held last year in Oyo state just as the Appeal court sitting in Abuja recently ruled that the Oyo national convention remains illegal, a judgement that favoured the Nyesom Wike led faction of the party.
