Fresh crisis hits Bayelsa APC

EVEN as the dust over the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Bayelsa State is yet to settle, a fresh crisis has hit the state chapter of the party.

This time, it is over who should be nominated as the deputy governorship candidate.

Former governor of the state, Timipr­eye Sylva emerged candidate of the par­ty last week in a rescheduled primaries.

A source claimed that leadership of the party in the state is currently split over who should be nominated for the office .

According to the source, the difficulty arose from the fact that Sylva had pri­or to the primaries, made promises to many leaders of the party for the same position. The move was to get their sup­port.

The source, who is a chieftain of the party, said the issue is ripping the party apart stressing that it had become so worrisome that if care is not taken, it could lead to mass defection before the December 5 governorship election. He said: “It is now a fight to the finish.”

The source said the rift would not have arisen if Sylva had not made mul­tiple promises to key leaders of the party as a way of luring them into supporting him.

Having got the ticket, the source stat­ed that redeeming his promise has be­come a huge challenge for Sylva .

On the number of people promised the running mate ticket by Sylva, the source claimed that no fewer than six persons were given the promise.

The source revealed that among the lot, two names who are now “major po­litical headaches” in the cat and mouse game are the state chairman, Chief Tiwe Oruminighe and PDP defector, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

Sylva, had earlier reportedly settled for the party chairman but changed his mind because of what was regarded as “pressure from Sylva’s inner circle,” who warned that Oruminighe had be­come “too powerfuls.”

He stressed that the fear was that if the state chairman was handed the tick­et, he could plot against Sylva in case they win the election.

He noted that Oruminghe is the brain behind Sylva’s emergence using his po­sition to ensure the delegates voted for him at the primary. He was also said to be Sylva’s political godson, having served under him as chairman of South­ern Ijaw Local Government.

In the case of Senator Lokpobiri who defected from the PDP and aspired to be governor but is now the Director-Gen­eral of Sylva’s Campaign Organisation, the source claimed that he was keen on becoming running mate but may have missed out due to similar reason against the party chairman.

Lokpobiri, the source said, would have been a good choice but Sylva and his ‘inner circle” are not comfortable with him because in their estimation, he could be “cunning and too independent-minded.” He is also to be a “violent politician” who could “match Sylva violence for violence.”