The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commenced the screening of its governorship aspirants for the states in the south-south region of the country.
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, who is the chairman of the screening committee, conducted the exercise alongside other members of the team on Thursday at the PDP zonal office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In his opening speech, Governor Diri assured the aspirants that the committee would be transparent in its dealings and fair to all of them.
Aspirants from four of the six states in the region comprising Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers stormed the party’s secretariat for the exercise.
Those from Bayelsa and Edo States were left out as the duo were on the off-season election schedule of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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As the exercise continued, there was heavy security within and around the PDP zonal office located at the Presidential Hotel Bus Stop on the Aba Expressway in Port Harcourt.
Some of the governorship aspirants from Rivers who attended the screening exercise include the immediate past Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Tammy Danagogo, and the lawmaker representing Rivers East district, Senator George Sekibo.
Others are Senator Lee Maeba, the immediate past PDP chairman in the state, Felix Obuah; immediate past special adviser to the governor on special projects, Alabo George-Kelly; and a former deputy governor, Tele Ikuru.
From Akwa Ibom, some of the aspirants present include the lawmaker representing Akwa Ibom North East district, Senator Bassey Akpan; and a popular businessman in the state, Pastor Umo Eno.
Elsewhere, Governor Diri received former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, at his office in the Government House in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Obi informed his host that he was in Bayelsa to formally express his desire to become the next president on the platform of the PDP.
Ahead of the general elections, the presidential hopeful, however, said he was not desperate to become the president.
Welcoming Mr Obi and his team, Governor Diri stressed the need for the PDP to rescue the country from the hands of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).