A peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Chief Gideon Ekeuwei, has protested against his disqualification from Saturday’s Bayelsa Central Senatorial bye-election primary.

Ekeuwei, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), who called for the cancellation of the exercise, said his disqualification and that of three others from the party’s primary was baseless and unjustified.

In a statement, he asked the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to reverse their disqualification. Ekeuwei said their disqualification would deny Bayelsa good representation in the Senate. He said the protests that greeted his disqualification showed that the decision was unpopular.

Ekeuwei said he had the experience to be a strong voice for Bayelsa at the upper chamber. He added that the emergence of an incompetent representative would rob the state of national benefits.

The ex-SSG said: “Each senatorial district across the federation put resources together to send their first eleven to the National Assembly where issues concerning the well-being of the people they represent are debated.

“Every state benefits the most when the best among them are sent to the centre to project, promote and protect its interests.

“With my formidable experience as a key player in the workings of the state government and my positioning within and outside of the state interacting with business men and investors, I understand the nature of politics at the national level and the impact it can have on local economies.”

Ekeuwei added that he performed well as a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Labour and Productivity and others. The Bayelsa Central seat in the Senate become vacant after Diri Douye was elected governor.