APC POST PRIMARY CRISIS DEEPENS IN BAYELSA COUNTER SUSPENSIONS HIT PARTY
by Mike Odiegwu
The post primary election crisis rocking the Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the November 16 governorship poll has deepened following counter suspensions by two camps of the party.
It was gathered that the development has widened the disunity in the party, which is facing two litigations from two aggrieved frontline governorship aspirants in the concluded internal poll, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and Preye Aganaba.
The fresh crisis was said to have started following the decision of the State Working Committee (SWC) led by its Chairman, Jothan Amos, to suspend some executive members loyal to Lokpobiri.
The Amos committee after its deliberation suspended the Deputy Chairman of the party, Ogeibiri Orubebe; the Legal Adviser, Chris Olorogun; the party’s chairman in Ekeremor Local Government Area, Amasighan Azikiwe; Ekeremor’s Secretary, Olorogun Isaac and Chairman, Sagbama, Peter Bofumu.
Amos accused the suspended members of the executive committee of gross misconduct and anti-party activities, saying they were indicted after investigations.
He said following the emergence of Chief David Lyon as the party’s candidate in a direct primary poll, party members were expected to forego their grievances in the overall interest of the APC.
He said the refusal of the suspended members to drop their grievances was an indication they were against the party adding that their actions could hamper the victory of APC.
The Assistant Organising Secretary of the party, Tari Emberru, who raised the motion for their suspension, insisted that the affected persons were undermining the unity and constituted authority of the party and should be shown the way out.
Also the state party Auditor, Doumo Ogbomani argued that the affected persons acted against article 31 section A; subsection 7 of the APC constitution, stressing that a house divided against itself could not stand.
But in a swift reaction, the affected executive members convened an emergency meeting and announced the suspension of the party Chairman, Jothan Amos, and six other executive members.
Others suspended by the camp are 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.
The camp said the action was in pursuant to the report of the State four-man Disciplinary Committee, which investigated and indicted them for abuse of office.
The camp in the meeting presided over by the State Deputy Chairman, Orubebe Ogeibiri, said it resolved that their suspension would serve as deterrent to others and instill discipline and loyalty among party members.
According to a copy of the resolution, the suspended party chairman, was 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.”
Amos was also accused of conniving with the state party secretary, Martins Alabo to violate rules on withdrawal of the party’s money lodged in the bank.
APC State Secretary, Mr. Martins Alabo was “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)(vii) of the APC constitution.
Others were accused of impersonation and connivance to deliberately create divisions among party members.
The camp said the party appointed the State Vice-Chairman, Bayelsa Central, Chief Fala Ebierein Etubo as Acting Chairman in line with the APC constitution.