The forthcoming primaries to choose the flag bearers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State appear to be a time bomb waiting to explode.

This is due to the alleged manhandling of the chairman of the panel for the primaries, who is also a chief in the Ogu community, by a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly (names withheld).

Trouble ensued when the screening panel allegedly refused to compromise the process by disqualifying some aspirants considered not to be loyal to a former First Lady (names withheld), who reportedly calls the shots as to who gets what in the party.

The said aspirants, who were reportedly regarded by party faithful as very popular and more likely to win the polls for the party, were said to be allegedly being propped up by some party chieftains whose interest were allegedly not in line with those of the ‘powers that be’.

The PDP had directed that the processes for the primaries leading the emergence of candidates for House of Assembly and House of Representatives be conducted in free, fair and credible manner to assure the integrity of the process. These include the sale of forms, delegate elections and the primaries through which candidates will emerge to fly the flag of the party.

The party also appointed a mini-screening panel to scrutinize the credentials of the aspirants, though with a caveat not to clear or unclear aspirants, but just to check the correctness of the documents presented by them and advise on how to get them right.

However, in a twist to the tale, the mini-screening panel allegedly disqualified some of the aspirants for inexplicable reasons. This caused an uproar among supporters and party faithful.

Recall that the State Governor, Nyesom Wike had declared that only popular and credible candidates will emerge through the primaries. The Governor further stated that only popular and credible candidates like him can withstand the onslaught of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he accused to planning to use federal might to intimidate voters during the elections.

A reliable source within the party in Ogu told Kristina Reports on condition of anonymity that the stance of the panel to overrule the mini-screening panel and accord a fair opportunity to all the aspirants angered the lawmaker, who mobilized his thugs to the home of the said chief and beat him to a pulp.

Kristina Reports tried reaching the said lawmaker to get his reaction to no avail as he refused answering his calls or responding to messages sent to his mobile line.

A chieftain of the party, who preferred anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, as the said lawmaker was said to be a god-son to the said First Lady, wondered why “the appeal panel and even the state party apparatus has remained silent over such issue of silencing a popular demand?”

“Why has the beating of the electoral officer who is also a Chief in Wakirike Nation not been investigated and those found wanting brought to book?”

“This is not the democracy we want to practice in our party. Let every sane mind and democratically instilled human being be vigilant of a masterplan to downplay the integrity of Ogu/Bolo as we are above such carnage of misrepresentations. Albeit, let the truth prevail and let the right hands man the mantle”.