For reportedly admitting that he played a central role in scuttling the? participation of the immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva in the latest party primary election in which a serving member of the Federal House of Representatives Mr. Seriake Dickson? emerged as the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) for the forthcoming election, President Goodluck Jonathan has been accused by the Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria [HURIWA],of undermining the rule of law and disrespecting the extant electoral Act which provides that all party members must be allowed to? participate in all primary elections to nominate official candidate of the political party.
Addressing the campaign rally for the PDP’s? candidate for the? Governorship poll in Bayelsa State at the weekend, President Jonathan said the immediate past Governor who was contesting his? exclusion in the Supreme Court of Nigeria, was denied the ticket because he [Chief Sylva] abandoned the ‘lofty’ projects started by him [Jonathan] thereby stunting the developmental strides of the state.
Besides, the PDP refused to give its governorship ticket to the former governor to contest the coming election citing sundry security reports against him [Chief Sylva] and picked a member of the Federal House of Representatives and the House committee Chairman on Judiciary, Mr. Seriake Dickson as the party’s flag bearer.
In a media statement made available to LEADERSHIP and signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Director of Media Affairs, Miss. Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA faulted the statement made at the campaign rally in Bayelsa by President Jonathan and advised him to retrace his steps in the interest of the rule of law.