Bayelsa APC breaks into factions ahead of guber polls

Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Less than six weeks to the November 16 governorship election the post-primary governorship election crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bayelsa State chapter escalated as two camps of the State Executive Committee (SEC) announced suspension of members.

The camp of the Chairman, Mr Jothan Amos believed to be loyal to the governorship candidate of the party, Chief David Lyon and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva suspended the deputy Chairman, Ogeibiri Orubebe, Chris Toborowei Olorogun, Legal Adviser, Amasighan Azikiwe, Chairman APC Ekeremor local government council, Olorogun Isaac, Secretary  APC Ekeremor local government  and Peter Bofumu, Chairman Sagbama local government council.

Ogeibiri believed to be loyal to former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development and governorship aspirant, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri in turn suspended Amos, the party secretary, Mr. Martins Alabo,  Mr. Peres Oyadongha, Senatorial Youth Leader; Mr. Iniekenimi Senator Mitin, LGA Youth Leader, Ekeremor; Mr. John K. Williams, LGA Organizing Secretary, Ekeremor; Mr. Osadebe Ezinrin, LGA Treasurer, Ekeremor; and Lovely Agwor, LGA Organizing Secretary, Sagbama.

However the Ogeibiri camp in a resolution signed by 19 members of the State Executive Committee which it said was in pursuant to the report of the State four-man disciplinary committee over formal complaints against Amos and the other state officials said their suspension would serve as deterrent against indiscipline.

According to a resolution made available to newsmen, the suspended party chairman, is accused of “refusal to account for millions of naira that accrued to the state chapter of the party as administrative charges on National and State Assembly aspirants.

On the other hand, the APC State Secretary, Mr. Martins Alabo is “accused of flagrantly breaching the party’s constitution by presiding over State Executive Committee meetings and inaugurating a purported Disciplinary, Contact and Reconciliation Committees contrary to Article 14(3) 7 of the APC constitution.”

Meanwhile, aggrieved governorship aspirant in the recently concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Bayelsa, Mr Ndutimi Alaibe has declared that he has not withdrawn his suit against the party seeking to nullify the election that produced Senator Douye Diri as the governorship candidate.

Reports had been rife in Yenagoa, Baylesa State capital that Alaibe due to pressure from leaders of Kolokuma/ Opokuma Local Government Area where he and Diri hail from had been convinced to withdraw the case in the larger interest of the people of the local government area.

However the head of the legal team of Alaibe, Mr Somina Johnbull in a statement issued yesterday in Yenagoa, described the claim as a rumour and insisted that Alaibe has not withdrawn his case against the PDP and Diri.

The statement reads in part “ Our attention has been drawn to the false story that our client, Chief Ndutimi Alaibe has withdrawn the legal action instituted against the conduct and outcome of the Bayelsa PDP governorship primaries at the Federal High Court. We do not have any instruction from, and have not withdrawn the said suit which is still pending in court and which our client is determined to pursue to its logical conclusion”.