Confusion as Bayelsa APC faction suspends Sylva, 4 others

There seems to be confusion in the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC, as a faction led by the chairman of the party in the state has suspended the party’s governorship candidate and former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva.

The party in a statement Saturday, signed by the chairman, Chief Timipa Tiwei Orunimighe, and secretary, Daniel Marlin also named others suspended with Sylva to include the vice chairman (Bayelsa Central), Joseph Fafi; Publicity Secretary, Panebi Fortune; Organising Secretary, Tonye Okio, and another member.

Another faction of the party had earlier announced through the party’s Publicity Secretary, Hon. Panebi Fortune after an emergency meeting that Orunimighe, his deputy, Eddy Julius and Marlin, were suspended from the party.

Orunimighe’s faction announced that Sylva was suspended for “anti- party activities and attempt to frustrate the change agenda of the Buhari administration in the state.”

They accused him of holding clandestine meetings with PDP members in contravention of the party’s constitution, and trying to form a parallel state executive in contravention of Article 21 of the party constitution which stipulates that factionalisation or creating parallel party organs at any level is punishable.

The statement said: “After due consultations with relevant stake holders and elders in the state, the Bayelsa State executive committee at an emergency meeting today took the painful but necessary decision to suspend our guber flag bearer in the 2015 elections Chief Timipre Sylva.

“We have it on good record Sylva, last week Tuesday precisely, paid a clandestine visit to one of the South South governors of the PDP, this is just one of the series of correspondences between them and we find it grossly unbecoming.”

Read also: Bayelsa APC crisis deepens, chairman, Dep, Sec suspended

Reacting to the new development, Fortune described Orunminigbe and others behind the suspension of Sylva as jesters.

He said it was laughable of Oruminighe, who was earlier suspended, to turn around to say Sylva was on suspension.

According to him, “They are fighting a lost battle because two people cannot suspend any of us. We properly constituted a meeting of the state executive council where about 21 of us took a decision that suspended Oruminighe and his cohorts.

“Their suspension stands because it was done in accordance with the rules and procedures of the party. We have facts and proofs on their illegal activities that led to their suspension. Let them provide evidence that we ever engaged in anti-party activities.”

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now