The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Screening Committee has disqualified four senatorial aspirants from the Bayelsa Central over alleged irregular tax clearance, membership dues, anomalies in documentations and sundry issues.
The affected aspirants are a former speaker and current Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Monday Bubou Obolo; Mr Gideon Ekeuwei; Mr Charles Ambaiowei and Igo Goin.
The Muraina Ajibola-led screening panel from the PDP National Secretariat was said to have received nomination forms from six senatorial aspirants with only one for Bayelsa West and five for Bayelsa Central.
It was learnt that after the exercise, the committee cleared former Governor Seriake Dickson— the only aspirant for Bayelsa West— and Chief Cleopas Moses, a former Chairman of PDP in Bayelsa State for Bayelsa Central. The other four aspirants were disqualified.
Sources close to the panel claimed that there were over five different grounds for the purported disqualification of the four affected aspirants.
According to the sources, the grounds include non-possession of valid PDP membership cards, non-payment of membership dues, irregularity in names on certificates, irregularity in court affidavits and irregular payment of taxes.
One of the sources, who craved anonymity, claimed that most of the disqualified aspirants only hurriedly rushed to obtain their three-year tax clearance about two months ago; a development that indicated that they allegedly evaded tax payment for two years.
The source said: “Imagine, some of the aspirants had no valid PDP membership cards; no passport photographs on some cards. Also, the party must be careful when nominating candidates with multiple names on their certificates.
