Leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State have thrown caution to the wind and are trading words over the last week decision by a faction of the party to open a parallel secretariat in the state capital.
While the Bayelsa APC members at the National Assembly under the aegis of the APC Caucus, made up of Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo( Bayelsa East Senatorial District), Hon. Preye Oseke, Member, House of Representatives(Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency) and Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli (Brass-Nembe Federal Constituency),expressed concern over a parallel Party administrative structure of the party in the state, calling on the Hon. Ebierien Fala Itubor led faction of the party to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of all.
A member of the faction and chieftain of the APC from Southern Ijaw Local Government area, Hon. Sunday Frank-Oputu waved off the position of the Bayelsa Assembly caucus, describing their peace move as “deceitful” and an attempt to cover up the grievances of party members in the state against the alleged wrongful leadership of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Frank-Oputu insisted that the National Assembly caucus failed the multitude of aggrieved members when their wisdom and intervention were needed most in the party,” am not too surprised but many are surprised on the ground that we never had the national assembly caucus of APC in Bayelsa until this parallel secretariat issue came up. There has been no time, we have ever heard this national assembly member speak on any issue” .
“So am calling on Bayelsans, both the national of our party and well-meaning Nigerians to discountenance whatever position they have taken. Because for me, they are people without conscience they should hide their head in shame because this same National Assembly members, cost Bayelsa state the victory of our governorship election.
What was their position then, what did they say when we were supposed to be looking for political solutions to sustain that victory this same people shamelessly were following Sylva and traded with our victory and today APC is out of government. So people, should look at this people as toys or boy to Timipre Sylva so their statements should not be taken serious as far as Bayelsa APC is concerned”.
“The same leader being defended went and arranged the Nembe Aiteo oil fill the position in which an APC chieftain had a contract and removed all of them. He gave it to someone else and wanted to make Senator Amange and Gabriel Jonah shoot each other at Nembe recently. Where were members of this caucus? What was their position on it? Did they even one day call for reconciliation between Slyva and Gabriel Jonah? As far as am concerned, we don’t have any National assembly member who have conscience and they should hide their heads in shame. They are part of the problem of APC in Bayelsa state”.
“But let me tell them today, let them know that the second tenure which Chief Timipre Sylva promised them if they support him, he will give not give them free ticket. It’s not about getting a ticket but it’s about winning the election for the second term. And that’s the most important thing they all know that they can never win any free and fair election it’s rather Sylva’s bragging that has taken them to that place”.
The members of the Bayelsa National Assembly cacus of the APC, in the statement issued said their The call for peaceful resolution of the crisis became necessary following the purported use of Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri’s former campaign office as a factional State Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, as well as publications on electronic and print media about party members’ displeasure with the leadership of the party in the State.
According to the statement, “It is against this backdrop that members of the National Assembly (Bayelsa State) APC Caucus do hereby state that there are no factions in the APC family in Bayelsa State, being that the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC has Hon. Jothan Amos as its Chairman, while the leader of the party remains His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, who is ably supported by thousands of Bayelsans across the length and breadth of the State who are comfortable with his all-inclusive disposition for good governance and accountability”.
“The Caucus Members hereby stress that as it has always been, party men who have the right to be aggrieved at any point, could find expression and ultimately seek redress using legitimately laid-down mechanisms as provided within the party structure in doing so, and not allow external forces to factionalize the party. We urge party faithfuls to be rather more united in purpose as this is the panacea for bringing about the much-needed democratic dividends to the people”.
