Bayelsa APC crisis deepens, faction drums support for Dickson

Efforts to reconcile aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Bayelsa State by the leadership of the party have continued to prove abortive.

Already, a faction led by the state chairman of the party, Tiwe Oruminighe, has threatened to mobilise support and ensure that his members vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Seriake Dickson [above pictured]  in the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for December, 5 2015.

The faction had last week in Yenagoa, protested against the choice of a retired Permanent Secretary, Ogiri as a running mate to ex-governor Timipre Sylva.

In the protest that lasted for several hours at the APC secretariat along Mbiama/Yenagoa Road, they pulled down Sylva’s billboard, chanting war songs and calling for immediate replacement of Sylva’s running mate which was said to have been ratified by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. 

To further press home their demands, placards with various inscriptions were displayed during the protest.

Sensing the danger ahead, the NWC summoned a meeting in Abuja to address the issue but it was deadlocked as the two groups were not ready to shift ground.

A source at the meeting stated that representatives of the Tiwe led group accused Sylva of betraying his followers, adding that they supported him on his promise that he would pick Tiwe as his running mate. 

The agreement was sealed before the APC primaries in Yenagoa.

Other governorship aspirants suffered similar fate as Sylva promised them governorship ticket before joining the party only for him to renege on the agreement.

A member of the group said that they have opened talks with the leadership of the PDP Bayelsa state.

He said, “We are not ashamed of making what I will describe as progressive U-turn to the PDP. This is politics and it is all about interest. As at the time that we are leaving PDP, we thought of better treatment in APC but it is the other way round.

“We are going to vote en masse for the PDP even as members of APC. We are going to pay Sylva back in his own coin.

“Some of us have planned to make appearance at Governor Dickson campaign flag off on Saturday and there is no going back. APC and Sylva have failed us and we are saying no to impostor.”

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