21st June, 2018
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Bayelsa State Chapter òf the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has said that it has not endorsed former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate as he is prepared to receive all presidential aspirants under the platform of the party.
The State Chairman òf the Party, Chief Moses Cleopas, said in a statement on Wednesday that the position of the State chapter of the party as endorsed by the leader of the party, Gov Henry Seriake Dickson was that the party would receive all aspirants and accord each of them the respect, hospitality and the courtesy they deserve.
He stressed that while it was the position of the party to receive and hold consultative talks with all aspirants, the party in the state would not endorse any particular candidate before the convention.
Cleopas noted that the decision of who to endorse for Presidential candidacy of the party would be collectively taken by the state at the convention of the party.
He said, “The Bayelsa State chapter of the PDP will receive all presidential aspirants under the platform of the party. The party in Bayelsa will ensure that all presidential aspirants are treated fairly with the respect and courtesy they deserve.
“However, it is the position of the state chapter of the party that there would be no endorsement of any particular candidate before the convention.
“The position of the state would be decided collectively and expressed at the convention ground.”
Cleopas said that it was indeed encouraging that people of integrity with the requisite political clout were aspiring to run for the Presidency in the 2019 election on the platform of the PDP.
He stressed that the PDP had the strength to wrest political power from the APC in 2019, with its vast spread and visible presence in all the 774 local government areas and indeed every ward in the country.
The party chairman who stressed that Bayelsa is a PDP State thanked the leaders and members of the party for turning out en mass to receive one of the Presidential Aspirants, Atiku Abubakar at a very shot notice and encouraged them to do same for other aspirants as they come visit.