Yenagoa — At least 30 persons sustained serious injuries, from gunshot and machetes during yesterday's controversial Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship primaries in Ekeremor and Sagbama local governments in Bayelsa state.

The injuries were reportedly recorded during a confrontation between members of the opposing groups along Bomadi water ways in Ekeremor local government area of the state.

Chairman of Transition Monitoring Committee for the Council who was alleged to belong to Bekes Etifa group, Ben Eyorodokumor, and two other persons narrowly escaped death as they were allegedly beaten up on the orders of a top politician in the state.

Also, in Sagbama local government, there was a reported shoot-out between the men of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) and some youths in the area; as unconfirmed reports stated that two of the youths were wounded.

Reacting to this development, JTF spokesman, lt. Col. Timothy Antigha said, there was no confrontation in the alleged incident, adding that the force is not involved in the supervision of the election.

Meanwhile, pockets of protests are trailing the results of the primaries in the remaining six local governments councils in the predominantly coastal state, just as the violence by aggrieved party faithfuls is generating fresh tension in the state.

Disappointed aspirants lamented that the poll was fraught with fraud as the party harmonized the primary election to politicians loyal to Governor Timipre Sylva and his aides.

Sunday Champion learnt that no primary election was conducted by the party in the original old eight local government areas across the state.

Already, a faction of the party alleged that the picking of the chairmanship candidates was illegal, threatening that they would seek redress in the law court.

Reports further revealed that some government officials supporting the "anointed" chairmanship candidates were said to have engaged the services of the JTF soldiers to beef up security in the localities.

The crisis reportedly escalated as chairmanship aspirants sponsored by the state Deputy Governor, Peremobowei Ebebi; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Werinipre Seibarugu, and Deputy Speaker, Nestor Binabo, were harmonized out of the primary election.

Seibarugu is reportedly kicking against the candidature of an ace comedian cum politician, Mike Ogbolosingha, who was adopted as Yenagoa Council Chairmanship candidate of the party.

Supporters of the Deputy Governor were said to have engaged the supporters of a serving commissioner from the locality, (Ekeremor) Bekes Etifa in a scuffle, which resulted to a shoot-out in Ekeremor.

Meanwhile, members of the National Assembly from Bayelsa state yesterday boycotted the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, local government election primaries held across the three senatorial districts in the state.

Also not in attendance was the embattled chairman of the party, Chief Rufus Abadi; the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Matters, Timi Alaibe, and other party chieftains.

Chief Abadi claimed not to be aware of the present situation in the party, as he was operating from hide-out over an alleged threat to his life. Two weeks ago, his country home was invaded by suspected gunmen during which property worth millions of naira were destroyed. Also, the embattled chairman submitted that shortly after the incident, he has been receiving text messages from anonymous callers threatening his life.

Chief Abadi said that he has notified the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo, and the Directorate of the State Security Service about the development, even though the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Elder Onouha Udeka, denied receiving any information to this effect.

Speaking in the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal constituency, Hon. Seriake Dickson said the lawmakers in Abuja were not part of the primaries.

However, a PDP source stated that the affected PDP members disenfranchised themselves for the reason best known to them, arguing that as delegates by the virtue of their election they supposed to be in attendance.

The source posited that no single individual is a greater than the party, buttressing that representatives of the party were sent from the National Secretariat of the party, Abuja.

Electoral panel constituted by the party include; Hon. Awalu Madaki, (Chairman) Hon. Victor Ere, Mrs. Chidinma Ekeowu, Chief Wali Wosu and Sir Vincent Aondoakaa.

The statement signed by the national organizing secretary of the party, Prince Uche Secondus partly reads, "the above listed persons are members of our great party deployed from the PDP National secretariat to conduct LG election in Bayelsa state.

In compliance with the party's directive, delegates filed out to perform their civic responsibility.