APC suspends Governorship candidate over anti-party activities

The All Progressives Congress has suspended the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri and the party’s 2019 governorship candidate, David Lyon, for alleged anti-party activities.

Also suspended were: the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Power, Kharim Kumoko, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Peres Biewari, former APC state chairman, Jothan Amos, an ex-officio member of the National Executive Council, Godbless Diriwari and Southern Ijaw APC Youth Leader, Sabi Morgan.

A party stalwart, Omiebi Fuoebi, and all ward executive members were also suspended by the party.

Briefing journalists separately on Friday in Yenagoa, the Chairman of APC in Ekeremor Local Government Area, Mitin Eniekenemi, flanked by the local government executive members, handed Lokpobiri and Kumoko indefinite suspensions.

Mitin said the action was sequel to a “report of the disciplinary committee set up by Article 21.3 (i) of our party’s constitution 2022 as amended.”

He accused Lokpobiri and his followers of involvement in anti-party activities since the 2019 governorship election in the state, saying his actions were borne out of his failure to secure the APC ticket.

Specifically, Mitin said Lokpobiri used “his supporters to institute cases in court against the party and also establishing a factional state secretariat of the party.”

Earlier, the APC Chairman, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Mr Ebikazi Gbefa, and the local government executive council members announced Lyon’s suspension for alleged anti-party activities.

He said, “The same set of stakeholders and their supporters openly worked against our National Assembly candidates”, pointing out they also worked for Governor Diri and PDP in the 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State.

But, a chieftain of APC in the state, Alex Blankson, has described the suspension as a “complete misunderstanding”.

He called on the APC National Working Committee to sanction those behind the suspension for trying to disgrace the party and also to immediately set up an acting committee to manage the affairs of the state chapter with the aim of restoring order.

Also reacting, a former Deputy Chairman of APC in the state, Ogeibiri Orubebemienkumor, also faulted the suspension of Lokpobiri, Lyon and others.

Orubebemienkumor, in a statement issued in Yenagoa on Friday, said that the purported suspension was entirely null and void and borne out of sheer ignorance by those behind it.