Bayelsa: Parallel APC Congresses Hold In State

There appears to be signs of tension and confusion among members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State over the intense rivalry among the factions of the party loyal to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, ahead of the state congresses slated for Saturday in the state.

InfoStride News gathered that aspirants loyal to both factions of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Former Senator, Heineken Lokpobiri, have indicated interest in the various positions on the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party.

InfoStride News also gathered that all efforts by the Gov. Buni led reconciliation committee inaugurated by the National leadership of APC to broker peace between the two factions yielded no results.

Also the readiness of both factions is in spite the subsisting court order initiated at the State High Court and the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Loyalists of Chief Timipre Sylva are designated to hold the State congress in the State Secretariat situated at the Mbiama Yenagoa road area of the state capital with aspirants for the various offices of the party chosen based on the four slots shared to each local government councils and adopted by party stakeholders in the State.

The State Chairmanship, Deputy and Secretary positions were zoned to Nembe, Sagbama and Yenagoa Local Government Areas of the State.

The fold of the faction loyal to Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, is preparing to hold a parallel state congress at their Secretariat located at the Dimrose junction along the Sanni Abacha expressway in the capital.

Two of the leading aspirants from both factions, Barr. Dennis Otiotio and Hon. Sunday Frank Okputu, who spoke to the media on Friday, offered reasons why they have decided to aspire for the State Chairmanship office of the party.

Barr. Otiotio said he would be honored if elected as Party Chairman of APC in Bayelsa State and that he will ensure that any candidate presented by the party for elected positions are credible.

“I will ensure that candidates presented for any elective offices are credible, experience, charismatic, dynamic, trustworthy and competent. We need people who mean business, schooled and exposed and to begin to present viable alternative government to show PDP has done nothing in the state”.

For Hon. Sunday Frank-Okputu, who is a loyalist of the Sen. Lokpobiri faction of the APC, he expressed concern over the poor showings of the party in the state due to bad leadership and assured that his emergence as State Party Chairman will bring a breath of fresh air to the party.

“I’m a vision bearer and I will ensure that the stakeholders of the party are properly consulted. We will not allow people stay in Abuja and dictate the activities within the party”.

Also the leader of the APC in Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State, and the Minority leader of the State Assembly, Hon. Wilson Ayakpo Dauyegha, held a stakeholders meeting at his Yenagoa residence on Friday with party leaders of all the wards of the LGA ahead of the congress.

In a statement issued to newsmen after a stakeholders meeting, by the WAD Media Office, discussions during the meeting centred on how to organize the Ekeremor House for a colourful and successful appearance in the Congress.

The leader of the party urged members of the party in the LGA to conduct themselves peacefully and to be in oneness just as they did during the ward and LGA Congresses.

Other key Stakeholders in the party who attended the meeting included: the party Chairman in the LGA, Eniekenemi Mitin, Elder Atti Emmanuel, Chief Alex Ekiotenne, women leaders and many others.