Bayelsa primaries: APC leaders set to meet today

Barring any last minute change, the leaders of the All Progressives Congress will on Monday (today) meet in Abuja, to deliberate on the crisis generated by the botched governorship primary in Bayelsa State. It was learnt in Abuja on Sunday that the National Working Committee of the party would receive and consider a report of the Adams Oshiomhole-led electoral committee.


A former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, who is one of the aspirants, has been engaged in a war of words with the chairman of the panel, Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole over the conduct of the botched polls. While Sylva insists that he won the primaries, Oshiomhole refutes the claim and challenged Sylva to produce a certificate of return if indeed he won the primaries.

A leading member of the party, who confided in our correspondent, said, “We are meeting tomorrow over the issue.” Attempts to reach the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, were futile. A response to calls and a text message sent to his mobile telephone on the subject was still been awaited as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, Sylva and a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Timi Alaibe, have engaged one another in a war of words. Sylva’s supporters under the aegis of APC Youth Vanguard have accused Alaibe of been too desperate for power. In response, Alaibe’s supporters under the leadership of Mr. Friday Dressman, dismissed the claims.

They noted that it was Sylva, not Alaibe, who was desperate to return to the Government House after the people of the state had once rejected him. A new twist was added to the debate when another group under the aegis of the Concerned Bayelsans for Good Governance urged the party to disqualify both aspirants from taking part in the rescheduled primary.

In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the President and Secretary of the group, Preye Dombraiyefa and Francis Arifagha, respectively, the group said the party would be better served if the two aspirants stepped down. They said, “That Bayelsans earnestly yearn for change, a progressive and productive government but neither Sylva nor Alaibe can engineer the birth of a government as encapsulated in the change mantra of the APC owing to their preference for violence, deceit and endangering the lives and properties of Bayesians.”