By Bodmas Kemepadie
As the All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to hold her national non-elective convention, a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has been accused of hijacking Bayelsa Electoral materials, to conduct a factional election in far away Owerri, Imo state, even after the State Chapter had resolved in it’s delegates.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State chapter, on Saturday, had earlier cleared 24 delegates from the eight local government areas of the state for the party’s non-elective National Convention.
The delegates were selected through affirmation following consensus by all the local government chapters of the party.
Party faithful gathered at the APC secretariat in Yenagoa, the state capital, to participate in the exercise by affirming the nominees presented to the congress committee through voice votes.
The Secretary of the committee, Mrs. Mildred Ezoh, who came from the National Secretariat of the party, said the congress was either through elections or affirmation as recommended by the party’s constitution.
She said the committee’s job was simplified by the decision of the party members in the state to adopt affirmation.
Ezoh said: “We came from Abuja for this exercise and we will do what we are supposed to do. It is either by election or affirmation. I have been directed to conduct this election.”
The state chairman of the party, Chief Tiwe Oruminighe, described the exercise as peaceful and devoid of rancour.
He said the leadership of the party at the local government areas consulted widely with all the stakeholders before submitting their lists, adding that they were required to present only three delegates from each council.
He said the exercise was devoid of crisis because the consultations that produced the lists were far-reaching.
Apart from the 24 delegates, he said the state had other statutory delegates that would participate in the party convention.
He said: “Today is our local government delegate congress. The exercise was smooth. We had no hitches. The only place where we had small disagreement was in Ekeremor. But the disagreement was resolved.”
Some of the party members described the congress as peaceful and commended the electoral committee and the APC chairman for the success of the exercise.
The congress was monitored by about 12 officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the Yenagoa office.
Despite these, our source revealed that the former Governor of the State, who was reported to have lost grip of the State structure, was dissatisfied with the Election process and the delegates that emerged, he was therefore bent on handpicking individuals who would do his bidding.
Our Source also confirmed to us, that the former Governor, had therefore hijacked electoral materials, to conduct his own poll in far away Owerri, Imo state.
Attempts to speak with one of the former Governor’s media aide to confirm the allegations was unsuccessful, but our source maintained his information was reliable and authentic, adding that Some buhari’s political appointees were also with him on their way to Owerri.
