There appears to be fresh crisis in the fold of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Bayelsa State, following the suspension of the State Chairman, Hon. Jothan Amos, Secretary, Comrade Alabo Martins and 10 others over alleged fraudulent diversion of party funds and anti-party activities.
DAILY POST gathered that the suspension which is coming barely one month to the November 16 governorship election in the state was carried out by factional members of the party loyal to the immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.
But on the other side, the factions loyal to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, announced the suspension of Hon. Ogeibiri Orubebe, deputy chairman; Chris Toborowei Olorogun, Legal Adviser; Amasighan Azikiwe, Chairman Ekeremor local government council; Olorogun Isaac, Secretary Ekeremor Local government council and Peter Bofumu, Chairman Sagbama Local government council.
The Senator Lokpobiri’s faction of the party announced the suspension of Mr. Jothan Amos, State Chairman; Mr. Martins Alabo, State Secretary; 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.
Their action, according to a resolution signed by 19 members of the State Executive Committee was pursuant to the report of the State 4-man Disciplinary Committee over formal complaints against various party officials.
At an Executive Committee Meeting presided over by the State Deputy Chairman, Honorable Orubebe Ogeibiri on October 10, 2019, at the State party Secretariat, the APC resolved that their suspension will serve as a deterrent and will instill discipline and loyalty among party members.
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.
The offences of other suspended officers range from allegations of impersonation and connivance to deliberately create divisions among party members.
Following the development, the Bayelsa State Executive Committee of the APC has appointed the State Vice Chairman, Bayelsa Central, Chief Fala Ebierein Etubo as Acting Chairman in line with the party’s constitution.
But the sylva’s faction of the Party led by the State chairman of the party, Jothan 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 that 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 had undermined the unity and constituted authority of the party and should not be tolerated since they have been severally called to order without any result.
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 cannot stand.
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