Suspension of Lokpobiri, others may worsen Bayelsa APC crisis

TRACKING_____Barring any quick resolution of the recent suspension handed over to a former minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and 12 other chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, the existing cracks in the party may worsen.

The post-primary crisis that rocked the APC in Bayelsa ahead of the November 16, 2019 governorship election was yet to be fully resolved when the party plunged itself into another crisis with the suspension of last Friday.

Those affected by the suspension with Lokpobiri are Preye Aganaba, Warman Ogoriba, Orubebe Ogeibiri, C. T. Olorogun, Pius Otia and Osomkime Blankson.

Others are Samuel Aredeh, Ebierien Itubo, Peres Peretu, Sunday Frank-Oputu, Azikiwe Amasigha and Fortune Panebi.

In a statement suspending the 13 leaders of the party, spokesman for APC Doifie Buokoribo said their suspension followed the report of the Disciplinary Committee set up on July 31, 2019 to investigate allegations of anti-party activities levelled against the affected members.

He noted that the probe panel was constituted in accordance with Article 21, sub-section B and D of the APC Constitution of 2014 as amended.

Buokoribo said that the State Executive Council of the party had looked into the allegations of anti-party activities levelled against them, adding that the allegations were against the party constitution.

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But reacting to the suspension, Warman Ogoriba, a former member of the House of Representatives, described the suspension as ‘kangaroo’.

Ogoriba, who said he did not want to take issues with the suspension, declared that it did not make any sense to him.

He said: “I don’t want to take issues with them. The suspension does not make any sense to me. As far as I am concerned, it is a kangaroo suspension.

“As a group, we have yet to meet. When we meet, we will take a decision and tell the world what is transpiring.”

Also speaking on the suspension, the Financial Secretary of the party, Fortune Panebi, said it is laughable.

He said: “As far as I am concerned, the suspension is nonsensical. How many are they to suspend any person? There was no exco meeting, there was no state working committee meeting and they do not have the number to suspend any person.

“We were not engaged in any anti-party activities. It is not true and it is a lie from the pit of hell. We cannot do that. The whole thing was just contrived to give the impression that there is crisis in Bayelsa APC so that APC national will intervene. We will address the media very soon on the development.”

Commenting on the development in the party, a chieftain of the party, Mr. Christopher Abarowei, described the suspension as rubbish, warning that if the issues were not resolved, the party would sink deeper in crisis.

He said the whole matter was borne out of the suspicion that some people were rooting for Lokpobiri as the national chairman of the APC in case the pendulum at the national level swings.

On what the suspension portends for the APC in the state, Abarowei said: “The suspension does not align with the expectations and aspirations of the people of Bayelsa who see the APC as a party to win the state any day. As it stands, Bayelsa voted overwhelmingly for David Lyon and the APC during the last governorship election, amassing over 300,000 votes. Bayelsans are expecting a vibrant opposition that will contend with the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Besides, there are two important elections in the state – the senatorial elections for Bayelsa West and Bayelsa Central. So, we need to be united. The timing is very wrong. Whether they complied with Article 21 of the party constitution is not in contention, but I know they never complied. If they complied, they would have set up a committee to invite the suspended persons to appear before it. Nobody was invited to any committee. So, the whole thing is funny. For me, they should just settle amicably and let us move on. “