Zoning argument in Nembe constituent tears Bayelsa PDP apart

Members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nembe Constituency 1 of Okoroma community in Nembe kingdom of Bayelsa State are dagger drawn over the claims by some politicians and sponsored groups decrying allege the neglect and marginalization of some wards of the Constituency, alleging that the since the year 1998, wards 9 and 10 out of the six wards that make up the Constituency are yet to produce a lawmaker.

While a faction of the Okoroma community under the aegis of the Okoroma Consultative Forum argued that for equity, justice, and fairness, the ticket of both the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Nembe Constituency 1 assembly race should be zoned to Okoroma clan.

Another faction of the Okoroma Community under the aegis of the concerned citizens of Okoroma Kingdom faulted the earlier claims and warned that the claims by the Okoroma Consultative Forum is spurious, misleading and does not represent the views and interest of the Okoroma people.

The Concerned Citizens of Okoroma community in Nembe, in a statement read to newsmen in Yenagoa, by its Publicity Secretary, Robert Ayagere, argued that the claims of neglect being painted by the Okoroma Consultative Forum is a deliberate act to give the Nembe people a very bad image politically and cause political friction between the two sister kingdoms in the future.

According to Ayagere, “it is on record that many political positions were conceded to the Okoroma axis in Nembe constituency 1 without an iota of contention from Nembe axis which add credence to the falsity of the purported political marginalization of the kingdom by the Nembe people.”

Among the political positions listed to have been allocated to Okoroma axis are the Vice Chairmanship of Nembe Local Government Council, Chairmanship seat of Nembe Local Government area, the Chairmanship of the Central Zone of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) and Leader of the Nembe Legislative Assembly.

According to Ayagere,” it is worthy to mention that many okoroma sons and daughters are still holding sundry positions at the State and Local Government levels and are more priviledge compared to other catchment areas.Based on the foregoing, it will be very unfair and inhumane to aver that the Okoroma people are suffering from political marginalization.”

“Currently, many Okoroma people are aspiring for the Nebe/Brass Federal Constituency seat and Nembe Constituency 1 seat in the Bayelsa House of Assembly. The same Okoroma people are also aspiring to be Nembe Local Government Council Chairman. We want to state that all the aspirants from Okroma are doing this based on their personal interests.”

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