With less than six weeks to the November 16 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election, another major crisis is presently rocking the state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as two factions emerged yesterday. While the two factions laid claim to leadership, they were also suspending each other’s executives.
The faction loyal to former Governor and Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, suspended some factional members loyal to former Minister for state for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri.
The faction loyal to Lokpobiri in turn indefinitely suspended the Sylva’s factional executives led by the state Chairman, Jonathan Amos and other officers over alleged acts of misconduct and intentionally creating division in the party.
Those members of the party suspended by the Sylva-led faction include, the party’s deputy state chairman, Ogeibiri Orubebe, its Legal Adviser, Toborowei Olorogun, and the Ekeremor local government Chairman of the party, Amasighan Azikiwe.
Also suspended were Olorogun Isaac, Secretary, Ekeremor local government council and Peter Bofumu, Chairman Sagbama local government council.
In a statement issued by Sylva-led faction indicated that the suspension order became imperative following the petition brought before it at an emergency meeting held at the state party secretariat in Yenagoa.
State chairman of the party, Jonathan Amos explained in alliance with the resolution reached by the committee that, the aforementioned people were suspended due to gross misconduct and anti-party activities which was reported and investigated.
He said, after the direct primaries of the party which saw the emergence of Chief David Lyon as the party’s candidate for the November 16 elections, it is expected that whatever diverse interest anyone had before the primary, should have been dropped for the overall interest of the party.
According to him, the said persons’ refusal to drop the pursuit of their personal interest, is a clear indication they are against the party and their actions could mar the predicted success of the party, necessitating their indefinite suspension from the party.
The Assistant Organising Secretary of the party, Tari Emberru who raised the motion for their suspension, maintained that the consistent show of truancy and misconduct by the affected persons, undermines the unity of the party and should not be tolerated.
Also speaking in favour of the motion, the state party auditor, Barrister Doumo Ogbomani argued that the affected persons have acted against article 31 section A; subsection 7 of the APC constitution, stressing that a house divided against itself can not stand.
It is gathered that, the committee also used the medium to advise the general public to henceforth seize to deal with those set of suspended persons as members of APC, adding that whoever does that, is doing it at their own peril.
But, the Lokpobiri loyalists in a swift reaction and led by the state deputy chairman, indefinitely suspended seven of its officers over alleged acts of misconduct and intentionally creating division in the party.
They are: Mr. Jonathan Amos, State Chairman; Mr. Martins Alabo, State Secretary; Mr. Peres Oyadongha, Senatorial Youth Leader; Mr. Iniekenimi Senator Mitin.
Others are the Ekeremor local government area youth, Mr. John Williams, its Organizing Secretary; Mr. Osadebe Ezinrin, the Treasurer; Lovely Agwor, and organizing secretary of Sagbama local government council.
The suspension they said was pursuant to the report of the State 4-man Disciplinary Committee over formal complaints against various party officials.
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