A faction of the All Progressive Congress (APC) loyal to Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has called on the Appeal Committee of the Party to cancel the outcome of the State Congress of the Party held last Saturday with Barr. Dennis Otitio emerging winner as Chairman of the Party.
But the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and leader of the APC in Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva accepted the outcome of the State Congress and congratulated the newly elected State APC executive members, describing the result as a reflection of the oneness and orderliness of the APC in the state .
Hon. Sunday Frank-Oputu, who is a member of the Senator Heineken Lokpobiri faction of the party in Bayelsa, in a petition dated 18th October,2021,called on the party leadership to cancel the State Congress purportedly conducted on the 16th of October and conduct a more credible, free and fair congress.
Frank-Oputu, in his petition to the Caretaker/Extra Ordinary Convention planning Committee and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, said urged the party to cancel the State Congress held by the Chief Timipre Sylva faction, describing the congress as devoid of foundation due to the subsisting court order by the State High Court restraining the party.
Frank-Oputu, who is also an aspirant for the position of State Chairman, said the faction loyal to Chief Timipre Sylva displayed open disrespect to court order issued against the conduct of the ward and local government congresses, ”since the ward and local government area congresses in Bayelsa were purportedly conducted on void footing, there is therefore no delegate anywhere in APC bayelsa State to anticipate the conduct of the failed state congress of 16th October,2021 which ought not to have taken place at all and therefore a nullity as same infracts the subsisting injunctive order of the court.”
But the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and leader of the APC in Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva in a statement on the conduct of the State Congress, described the outcome as a reflection of the oneness and orderliness of the APC in the state
Sylva, while thanking the Amos Jothan led exco whose tenure just elapsed, charged the new exco to continue on the strong momentum APC Bayelsa state has enjoyed for years, ”We must continue this chain of election victories and we must continue to assert ourselves as the dominant party that we are, but most importantly it is our sacred duty to serve Bayelsans and Nigerians well”’
Sylva also commended the runners-up of the elections and thanked them for their sportsmanship and love for party while also thanking party men and women who voted and aided the process.
Sylva thanks, too, chieftains of the party who teamed up for what has now become a democratic master class.
Daybreak recalled that Chief Dennis Otiotio, 49, who won the chairmanship seat with 582 votes, has been both a Senior Special Assistant and Special Adviser to the Bayelsa state government on Corporate and Legal matters respectively, he holds degrees from the University of Tulsa and the Rivers State University of Science and technology. He has been a key tactician for the APC over the years.
Hon. Ebipadei Fekoweimo, the new state secretary, has been a member of the Bayelsa state House of Assembly as well as a celebrated grassroot mobilizer.