APC Stakeholders, Ex – Deputy Chairman fault alleged suspension of Lokpobiri, Lyon, others
The immediate past Deputy Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bayelsa State chapter, Ogeibiri Orubebe, a former House of Representatives aspirants, Barr. Edwin Odom Blankson, and a major stakeholder of the party in YELGA ward 2, has described as null and void the purported suspension of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Former governorship candidate of our party, Chief David Lyon, with several others over alleged anti-party activities during the last governorship election in Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of the state.
According to Barr. Blankson, the purported suspension should be regarded because the court already gave his judgement against the conduct of the Congress conducted by the National Executive of the party.
He said “The judgement of the court remains alive and still valid. As it stands, the party does not have a valid executive officers from the ward level to the state. And with the implication of that where did they derive the powers to do the suspension”
I call on Mr. President who is the leader of the party to intervene in our matter, so that the National leadership can come up with a working caretaker committee in a view of putting the party together.
In his part, the former Deputy Chairman, Ogeibiri Orubebe, during a media briefing in Yenagoa, said the purported suspension is entirely null and void, and is an act borne out of sheer ignorance by the individuals behind it.
He maintained that “For the record, the Bayelsa State chapter of the APC does not have an existing executive from the state level down to the ward level across the state.”
“This situation arose due to a valid court order issued on January 20, 2023, by Judge L. T. Cocodia of the Yenagoa High Court. The order nullified the congresses of the Wards, Local Government Areas, and the State, held on September 3rd and 4th, and October 16th, 2021.”
“The court order also set aside the congresses conducted on the aforementioned dates and granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining anyone from parading themselves as executives of the party.”
While the youth leader, Hon. Alex Blankson, mentioned that he filed the case in the State High Court in January 2022, challenging the legitimacy of the Congress that produced the party officials at the state, LGA, and ward levels.
He said, the court agreed with his arguments, and delivered a judgement nullifying the entire party Exco, with a restraining order against them from representing themselves as Chairpersons or members of the APC Exco in the state.
He called on the Commissioner of Police and all relevant security agencies to remain vigilant regarding the actions of the individuals who are looking to forment trouble in the state.