A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Chief Julius Bokoru, has faulted the composition of the committee set up to oversee the forthcoming ward and local government congresses in the state, describing the list as lopsided and divisive.
Bokoru, in a statement issued on Friday, said the committee list currently in circulation had done little or nothing to advance internal cohesion within the party.
The founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) noted that the process of compiling the list should have been used as an opportunity to foster reconciliation and unity within the party, especially in the wake of recent political realignments.
According to him, rather than promote inclusiveness, the process appeared to have reinforced existing divisions between long-standing party members and newly defected entrants.
Bokoru, who also serves as Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Timipre Sylva, acknowledged the leadership position of Governor Douye Diri within the party. However, he stressed that such a role comes with the responsibility of balancing authority with inclusiveness.
He maintained that Governor Diri did not join a weak or marginal political structure in Bayelsa but a party that had steadily evolved into a competitive force in the state.
“Governor Diri did not join a defeated APC in Bayelsa. He joined a party that grew from relative obscurity into a formidable platform, winning legislative seats, recording strong performances in presidential elections, and making credible showings in governorship contests,” Bokoru stated.
He added that the APC in Bayelsa had attained political maturity long before the governor’s defection and that members who laboured to build its structure reasonably expected acknowledgment and inclusion in key decisions.
The APC chieftain further remarked that the committee list reflected what he described as a broader pattern of limited consultation within the party.
“Even before now, consultations have been narrow. Notably, several new entrants, including the governor, are yet to engage meaningfully with the party secretariat at Yenizue-Gene. In politics, such gaps are often significant. Out of about 28 names, you cannot cede maybe just two or three and retain the rest; there is nothing democratic or strategic in that,” he said.
Bokoru warned that sustained exclusion could weaken the party’s internal stability and undermine its broader objectives, including support for the national leadership under President Bola Tinubu.
He appealed to the party’s national leadership to review the development to prevent internal disaffection and safeguard party unity in Bayelsa.
He also cautioned against any perception that former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structures were being completely superimposed on the APC, noting that such an impression could weaken morale and raise concerns about internal equity.
Bokoru called on Governor Diri to reconsider the committee list and adopt a more inclusive approach.
“I respectfully urge the Governor to withdraw the list and pursue a broader, more inclusive path—one that gives both long-standing and new members a fair stake in the party’s future, strengthens internal confidence, and consolidates the APC as a united and credible political platform in Bayelsa State,” he said.
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