Bayelsa Guber polls: Another setback for APC as Lokpobiri settles Wike, Diri rift.¶
* Sylva still in trouble water
*Group wants Lokpobiri, Lyon, others punished by NWC
Another setback has hit the Bayelsa State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) following report that the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has smoothened the frosty relationship that existed between Governor, Senator Douye Diri and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyensom Wike.
Investigation revealed that Lokpobiri was the architect of the reconciliation between Diri and Wike.
Diri and Wike fell apart after the PDP presidential primary which produced former vice president Atiku Abubakar. It was alleged that Diri supported Atiku against Wike .
According to Concerned APC stakeholders in Bayelsa , Lokpobiri is leveraging on his friendship with Wike to settle the rift between in order to support Diri for the November 11 polls.
The group alleged that Lokpobiri’s intervention and reconciliation of the feuding politicians was part of his strategies to garner support for the re-election of the governor in the November 11 governorship election in the state.
The move , it gathered was meant to ensure that Sylva of APC fails in the forthcoming poll.
Wike was said to be livid that Diri despite that the assurance that Bayelsa delegates would support him at the primary but allegedly swayed the delegates to Atiku.
In a press statement by its coordinators, Mr. Nimi Benigha-Amange and Kopiamu Arikibai, they alleged that Wike, who is still unhappy with Diri had resolved to back the candidate of APC, Sylva, before he was persuaded to forgive and throw his weight behind the incumbent governor by the oil minister.
They stated : “In furtherance of his intention to frustrate the election of Sylva, Lokpobiri has brought former Governor Wike and Diri together in reconciliation on order to support Diri .
“Former Governor Wike has been unhappy with Diri before now but Lokpobiri has succeeded in reconciling them to enable him to foster and achieve his interest of ensuring Sylva fails in the election.”
“People like Lokpobiri, David Lyon and some serving and formers members of the state and national assemblies, especially those from Sylva locality are said to be playing along with APC, they are all known to be working with PDP to deliver Diri on November 11.”
“These prominent politicians do not hide their hatred for Sylva and they openly say it everywhere that Sylva cannot fly and that he is not going to anywhere.
“We are watching. The outcome of the election in their areas will show their political values. It will show what political value you have and people will judge you mainly by your results”.
In the meantime, the political pressure group has urged the National Working Commitee (NWC) of APC to sanction erring members and leaders of the party in the state.
“We seize this opportunity to call on our indefatigable National Chairman, His Excellency Abdullahi Ganduje and members of the NWC of our esteemed party to wield the big stick against the saboteurs in our party in order to ensure victory for our candidate, Chief Timpreye Sylva, come November 11th,” the statement added.
