.Members protest over Tiwei’s suspension
By Aherhoke Amos Okioma
All is not be well with the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bayelsa State chapter as some party members have protested the suspension of the state Chairman, Chief Tiwei Orunimighen.
The protesting members of the party said that there was no crisis in the state chapter and wondered why their chairman was suspended by the national leadership of the party.
APC chieftain in Bayelsa State, Chief Livinus Opuakpa; and the APC Women leader in the state, Ms Goergenia Igbeta, in their separate interviews at the party secretariat, Kpansia-Epie, said that they still recognise Tiwei as their chairman in the state.
Opuakpa, who down-played the suspension of the chairman, said that the party was poised to win election in the state in 2019.
He also stressed that there was no crisis in the party in the state and that they would oppose anybody who wants to tear the party into shreds.
“As much as the National Working Committee is yet to release a letter purporting to suspend Chief Tiwei Orunimighen, he stands and remains the party state chairman. And not until we get correspondence from the National Secretariat we will not shift our loyalty.
“We want a letter from the National and until that is done we remain loyal to Tiwei Orunimighen as our chairman,” he said.
He said that if there was crisis, the suspension of some members of the executive would have been initiated by the state party members.
His words: “APC is never in any crisis. Suspension has to emanate from the state. APC is not for sale. We will resist with all legal and constitutional powers any plot to destabilise the party in the state.”
They further urged the party to ignore all the clandestine plan being carried out by one of the party chieftains, the Minister State of Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, whom they said, “constituted a cog on the wheel of the party since his defection from PDP and he was nowhere to be found during the campaign for the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.” They alleged that the minister had no power and authority to dictate who is the chairman or leader of the party, saying that Lokpobiri had no power being a new comer.
They stated in their various placards: “Without Tiwei No APC in Bayelsa, APC Change Lokpoboiri;” “We Believe in Tiwei. If APC wants peace, they should leave Tiwei;” and “We are tired of Lokpobiri and his antics.”
