The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayelsa State has been embroiled in fresh crisis barely one month before the November 16th Governorship elections in the State, with the suspension and counter suspension of state officers by the state party leadership and a faction loyal to Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

The State Executive Committee led by the state party chairman, Mr Amos Jotham, on Thursday suspended the deputy chairman Ogeibiri Orubebe, the Legal Adviser Chris Toborowei Olorogun, Ekeremor Council Chapter Chairman and Secretary Amasighan Azikiwe, and Olorogun Isaac respectively and Sagbama Local Government chapter Chairman,  Peter Bofumu.

The state executive working committee came out with the suspension following the petition brought before it at an emergency meeting held at the state party secretariat in Yenagoa.

State chairman of the party, Jothan Amos explained that in alliance with the resolution reached by the committee, that the aforementioned people were suspended due to “gross misconduct and anti-party activities which were reported and investigated.”

He said, after the direct primaries of the party which saw the emergence of Chief David Lyon as the party’s candidate for the November 16 elections, it was expected that whatever diverse interest anyone had before the primary, should have been dropped for the overall interest of the party.

According to him, the said persons’ refusal to drop the pursuit of their personal interest, is a clear indication they are against the party and their actions could mar the predicted success of the party, necessitating their indefinite suspension from the party.

The Assistant Organising Secretary of the party, Tari Emberru who raised the motion for their suspension, maintained that the consistent show of truancy and misconduct by the affected persons, undermine the unity and constituted authority of the party and should not be tolerated since they have been severally called to order without any result.

Also speaking in favour of the motion, the state party auditor, Barrister Doumo Ogbomani argued that the affected persons have acted against article 31 section A; subsection 7 of the APC constitution, stressing that a house divided against itself can not stand.

In a related development, another faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayelsa State has indefinitely suspended seven of its officers over alleged acts of misconduct and intentionally creating division in the party.

The faction which is loyal to the former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development and Governorship aspirant Senator Heineken Lokpobiri suspended the  State Party chairman Mr. Jotham Amos, State Secretary Mr. Martins Alabo, Senatorial Youth Leader, Mr. Peres Oyadongha, Senatorial Youth Leader, among other local government areas chapter executives of the party.

The suspension according to the faction was in pursuant to the report of the State 4-man Disciplinary Committee over formal complaints against various party officials, and Executive Committee Meeting presided over by the State Deputy Chairman, Mr. Orubebe Ogeibiri on October 10, at the State party Secretariat.

They noted that their suspension will serve as deterrent and instill discipline and loyalty among party members.

According to a resolution made available to newsmen, the suspended party chairman, is accused of, “refusal to account for millions of naira that accrued to the state chapter of the party as administrative charges on National and State Assembly aspirants.”

On the other hand, the APC State Secretary, Mr. Martins Alabo was accused of “flagrantly breaching the party’s constitution by presiding over State Executive Committee meetings and inaugurating a purported Disciplinary, Contact and Reconciliation Committees contrary to Article 14(3) 7 of the APC constitution.”

The offences of other suspended officers ranges from allegations of impersonation and connivance to deliberately create divisions among party members.

Following the development, the faction has reportedly appointed the State Vice Chairman, Bayelsa Central, Chief Fala Ebierein Etubo as Acting Chairman.