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APC accuses Dickson of fueling crisis, as Lokpobiri threatens court action

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APC accuses Dickson of fueling crisis, as Lokpobiri threatens court action

The crisis rocking the Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, assumed a new dimension on Monday, as the party in the state accused Governor Seriake Dickson of being the brain behind the crisis, just as the Minister of State for Agriculture,  Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, threatened to go to court over allegations that he purchased his nomination and appointment as minister.

The party, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Panebi Fortune, said there was an underhand dealing between the suspended Chairman of the party, Chief Tiwe Oruminighe and Governor Dickson.

It would be recalled that Oruminighe and some members of the state Executive Committee have accused the leader of the party in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, of selling appointments to his cronies.

Dickson was said to have issued a statement allegedly supporting the faction of the APC Executive Committee led by Oruminighe.

The party said: “It has become compelling for us to expose the under hand dealings between the governor, Hon Henry Seriake Dickson and the suspended state chairman of the APC, Chief Tiwei Oruminighe alongside two of his accomplices.

“However, our attention has been drawn to a statement laced with lies and outright misinformation purporting and insinuating financial dealings between two leading lights in our party, that is our leader, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Hon Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri prior to the appointment of the latter as minister. We find these lies very disgusting and ignoble, hence seen as the ranting of a bunch of misled ingrates.

“But our curiosity is that the statement emanated from one Daniel Iworiso-Markson, chief press secretary to Governor Dickson. The question of who is behind the suspended chairman and his ‘boys’ does not need to be asked. What rather baffles us is the rationale behind this incredulous act of anti party and unconscionable desire for monetary gains in the name of politics.

Read also: Buhari blames Obj, Jonathan for state of economy

Reacting to allegations that he purchased his ministerial nomination and appointment as a minister, Senator Lokpobiri, on Monday, said  no amount of blackmail would distract him from discharging his functions in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the allegations against him by the suspected faction of the state SEC of the  APC were laughable and baseless.

The minister, in a statement signed by his Media Assistant, Mr. Donald Ojogo, said he never got his appointment on the altar of financial inducement while also threatening to seek redress in court by filing libel suit against persons bent in damaging his hard-earned reputation.

The statement read: “In the last few days, the Bayelsa state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has contended with some unsavoury moments.

”Undoubtedly, these are orchestrated by an insignificant few within the party and oiled by some external forces who feel threatened about their political future, especially as the APC challenges the outcome of the last governorship election at the Election Petition Tribunal.

“‎From the outset, the attitude of the Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has been to ignore and avoid responding to all such untoward moves and circumstances around the APC. To him, such do not represent the much required cohesion, sincerity of purpose and political maturity.

“Nonetheless, in the view of the deliberate fabrication of lies and misrepresentation of facts on the part of those who have allowed themselves to be used in this blackmail venture, it has become very compelling to state the following:

“The Hon Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri never got his appointment on the platter of financial negotiations as expressly insinuated by the suspended State chairman of the APC in Bayelsa State, Chief Tiwei Oruminigha and his cohorts.

“Like other appointees of Mr President, Senator Lokpobiri was duly considered worthy to be so appointed in his position.

“It is a clear case of misrepresentation of facts to insinuate that former governor of Bayelsa who is the leader of the APC in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva collected money from the Hon minister before his appointment as minister. This is an outright fabrication.

“Lastly, as a law abiding citizen, the Hon Minister wishes to state that while an unsuspecting section of the media has the liberty to publish unsubstantiated stories, he reserves the right to seek redress in the ‎law courts”, the minister said.

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