Bayelsa Crisis: APC suspends chairman, deputy and secretary, as Dickson is Plotting To Take Over the Party
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State has suspended the State Chairman of the party, Chief Tiwe Orunimieghe, for engaging in anti-party activities and romancing governor Sarieke Dickson who they held for sponsoring the crisis.
Factional Chairman of the party in Bayelsa, Chief Joseph Fafi on Tuesday said the suspended Chairman was not fighting for the interest of the APC in Bayelsa state, adding that “he has been fighting to be the Executive Director, Finance of NDDC, he wants to be the Chairman of local content board and wanted to be Deputy Governor”.
The party also said announce that the deputy Chairman and state secretary, they also stand suspended and we have the power to do that and the national secretariat is pleased with our explanation.
He said the party has placed the aforementioned individuals on an indefinite suspension pending the conclusion of the investigations.
Fafi who stormed the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja in company of the state executive members to petition the National Leadership of the APC over the crisis rocking the party, which they said Governor Dickson is bankrolling the crisis.
"We are here to brief the national working committee on the happenings in Bayelsa state APC and to explain to them the procedures we took and we have submitted a petition to the national leadership of the party who has promised to look into their allegations."
“He claimed to be fighting for the party in Bayelsa state. You can see the entire executive of the party here. So, when next you see him, ask him who he is fighting for.
The Fafi-led faction said the party’s constitution empowers him to sack the Chief Tiwei Orunimighe-led leadership who had earlier announced the suspension of former governor of the state and leader of the party in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva.
The Party said that in the interim, the Senatorial Vice Chairman, Mr Joseph Fafi and Mr Alabo Martins are to act as Acting State Chairman and Acting Secretary respectively.
The suspended APC chairman had at a press conference in Abuja accused state leader, former governor Timipre Sylva of selling political posts at the centre to newcomers, for huge cash.
" the formal chairman discuss with us on his own that he nominated Sen Heineken to Chief Timipre Sylva and he was appointed, so why is it now he was appointed as a Minister so many months ago, why is it now that he realise that chief kpokobiri is not a member of the party you can see the fraud in it."
"As for wealther our leader collected money from heineken or not, he will be called to prove it, and he won't go away Scott free with it, I hope that he has the evidence to prove that money exchange hand, but I can assure you that a thing like that did not happen."
The Bayelsa APC also claimed that the Governor is also funding the crisis in the state in order to destroy the leadership of the party and APC governorship candidate, Chief Timiprieye Silva.
Factional chairman of the party, Joseph Fafi and State Organising Secretary, Tonye Okio said governor Dickson wants to first destabilize the party in the state, before coming in to take over as its leader. They stated this when they addressed newsmen after a meeting with the national leadership of the party.
While saying they will not allow him destroy the structures built by the former governor, Chief Timiprieye Silva, he said they have evidence that the suspended chairman has been collecting money from the state governor, while press statements made available to newsmen emanate from the office of the Chief Press Secretary to Dickson.
The group also accused the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party. Mr. Timi Frank of having hand in the crisis, which they said was a revenge mission against chief Sylva.
The claimed that Mr. Frank was only a Bayelsan by birth, but politically from Sokoto who does not know his unit in Bayelsa State.
“Timi Frank, by birth is a Bayelsan, but politically is not a Bayelsan, I say this because, I was at the National Convention of the party, Timi Frank was never and is never the candidate of our party, the slot Timi Frank is occupying is not the slot of Bayelsa state is for Sokoto State.
“This is a kind of a revenge for him he is attacking the leadership of the party, even the exco we never wanted him, but some forces want him to be there, because he is their boy.
"Then Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko to allow peace to reign gave him the position."
The State Woman Leader APC Bayalsa State, Mrs Cynthia Boro said " Timi Frank does not know the unit, he has never ever participated in any election before in Bayalsa State, any activity, am sure he does not know the party secretariat," she added