Expect A Repeat Of Zamfara, Rivers Disqualification In Bayelsa – APC chieftain

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Hon. Sunday Frank Oputu, has said a repeat of what happened to the party in Zamfara and Rivers State in 2019, where the court disqualified the party from contesting in the general elections due to their primaries, is imminent in the state.

InfoStride News reported that the faction of the party loyal to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, conducted a peaceful state congress and elected its 36 State Executive Committee (SEC) members, as Barr. Dennis Otiotio emerged as state chairman of the party.

But Oputu, who is also a chairmanship aspirant of the faction loyal to former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said all that the other faction did to elect members of the SEC was just an exercise in futility.

Speaking with the media  in his Yenagoa office on Monday, Oputu stated that because of the subsisting court order, Bayelsa State should have been exempted from all congresses pending when all legal battles are trashed, but they still went ahead to conduct the congress because Sylva has an ulterior motive to again do business with the party.

He said, “As we are all aware there’s a subsisting court order, that is why we didn’t join in the state congress because we have to obey the order by the court which is reserved for judgment and no pronouncement has been made yet, so ahead with a Congress is of no use.”

“I am a chairmanship aspirant, we bought our forms with others and we did all the necessary things but we have to wait until justice is served, as law-abiding people we felt that going against the court order is out of place because we must respect our justice system and do everything to uphold it to the latter.

“Are Sylva and his cohort also aware that their lawyer denied holding congresses at the wards and LGA level in their brief of argument because we filed for contempt? We filed for contempt that they disobeyed the court order by going ahead to conduct congress, but in his brief argument, he said they didn’t do any congress so they didn’t fault, that they are still seeking the court to vacate the order. So if such an issue is still pending why go-ahead to conduct a congress.

“They don’t know what the law says about issues like this, what Sylva is doing will bring about a repeat of Zamfara and Rivers State. And is that what we want as a party? Why is he keen on using the party for business negotiation, and I also pity the National for not knowing that they’re been deceived, and flouting court order in a democracy where the rule of law is supposedly upheld at all levels.

“It’s a shameful situation but we will still stand to ensure the right thing is done at every given time so that the people who have the mandate will be given by party members. If we continue like this the party WL not go anywhere, and for some of us who believe in doing the right thing will continue to fight to get things right because we won’t be discouraged or deter us.”