APC suspends petroleum minister, guber candidate, 8 others for anti-party activities
The All Progressives Congress has suspended the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, its 2019 governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Chief David Lyon, and eight others for alleged anti-party activities.
Other suspended chieftains include state Commissioner for Power, Kharim Kumoko; Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Peres Biewari; former APC state chairman, Jonathan Amos; an ex-officio member of the National Executive Council, Godbless Diriwari; and Southern Ijaw APC Youth Leader Sabi Morgan.
APC stakeholder and Chairman in Ward 3 Southern Ijaw, Omiebi Fuoebi, including all ward executive members, as well as the APC Ward 4 Southern Ijaw, Claudius Odobu and all the ward executive members, were also caught in the suspension web.
The party’s Chairman in Ekeremor LGA, Mitin Eniekenemi Senator, flanked by the local government executive members at a press briefing in Yenagoa, the state capital on Friday, October 11, 2024, announced the indefinite suspension of Lokpobiri and Kumoko.
According to Senator, the decision was a sequel to a “report of the disciplinary committee set up in accordance with Article 21.3 (i) of our party’s constitution 2022 as amended.”
The chairman alleged that Lokpobiri and his followers had been involved in anti-party activities since the 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa, adding that the minister’s actions were influenced by his failure to secure the APC governorship ticket.
APC says the minister worked for PDP in the governorship election
Specifically, he claimed the minister deployed “his supporters to institute cases in court against the party and also establishing a factional state secretariat of the party.”
“In the 2023 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State, he led a group of disgruntled party members to openly support and work for Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party and was compensated by the PDP-led government of Bayelsa State.
“His personal aide, Kharim Kumoko, was nominated by the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri and appointed as the current Commissioner for Power in Bayelsa State.
“It is on record that since the day he was appointed as minister, he has been fighting the party in Bayelsa State and has refused to make peace despite all entreaties,” Senator stated.
In a separate announcement, the APC Chairman, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Ebikazi Gbefa, and the local government executive council members suspended Lyon and seven others for alleged anti-party activities.
Gbefa referred to Article 21.3(I) of the party constitution and accused them of conspiring against the APC candidate in the 2020 Bayelsa Central senatorial bye-election, Abel Ebifemowei.
”The same set of stakeholders and their supporters openly worked against our National Assembly candidates” suggesting that they also worked for Diri and the PDP in the 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State.
“Some of them were compensated with contracts and appointments. For example, Perepuighe Biewari who was Chief David Lyon’s Personal Assistant, was nominated by Chief David Lyon and appointed as the current Commissioner for Lands and Survey in the Gov. Douye Diri administration in Bayelsa State.
“As we strive to rebuild the party ahead of 2027, it is our resolve to strengthen the party and build confidence in party grassroots members who believe in and have sacrificed remarkably to the party in the state,” he added.
The two groups disclosed that the disciplinary actions have been referred to the state executive council for ratification.
This comes on the same day a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NEC), announced the suspension of the party’s acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum and the National Secretary, Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, fondly called Sam Daddy over offences related to anti-party activities.
