Efforts by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reconcile aggrieved members of the party in Bayelsa State, especially frontline aspirants in the party’s concluded governorship primary poll, has hit a brick wall.
It was gathered that the National Working Committee (NWC), led by a former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, was making frantic efforts to reunite the aspirants, who faulted the process that led to the emergence of the party’s candidate for the November 16th governorship election, Chief David Lyon.
But it was learnt that the main aspirants, especially a former Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and a founding member of the APC, Preye Aganaba, remained adamant, insisting on pursuing their cases in court against the party and Lyon.
Other aspirants also complained about the alleged arrogance of the state leader of the party and Petroleum Minister, Chief Timipre Sylva, saying that the former governor was carrying on as if he would win the election without them.
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One of the them, who spoke in confidence, said: “Can you believe that since the controversial emergence of David Lyon, the state leader and Lyon himself have not deemed it necessary to reach out to me?
“Arrogance has always been the reason why our party in the state lacks unity. It is not only me; I also know that they have not made efforts to reach others, who were rigged out of the primaries. They are behaving as if they can win the election without us”.
It was further learnt that Lokpobiri shunned a recent meeting between Oshiomhole’s NWC and the aggrieved aspirants and rejected reports that the grievances had been resolved following the meeting.
Lokpobiri in a statement signed by his campaign organisation’s Director, Media and Publicity, Pere Peretu, confirmed that he had nothing to do with the stakeholders’ meeting.
The statement said: “The true situation is that dissatisfied with the outcome of the party’s governorship primaries in Bayelsa State, Senator Lokpobiri headed for the court to seek redress. The matter is being handled by a competent court of justice.
“We, therefore, advise members of our Rescue Mission to remain steadfast and await the outcome of the issue in court. Senator Lokpobiri is committed to the ideals of the APC and is assured of the party’s victory in the state with him as its flag-bearer in the November 16th governorship polls in the state”.
Speaking on the stakeholders’ meeting, Aganaba said he only attended out of respect for his party, insisting that his case against the party would continue at the court.
“People bought forms because they trusted the chairman to do the right thing. The meeting went well. Normally if your party invites you, you go. It is not war, it is politics.”
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