State/NASS primaries: Concerned APC members raise alarm over plot by PDP to use court to truncate primaries in Bayelsa

Concerned members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State weekend raised the alarm that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is plotting to use the courts to truncate the State and National Assembly primaries of the Party in the state.

According to the APC members, the plot allegedly being hatched by the PDP in conjunction with some party chieftains in the state, is targeted at using the court to invalidate the conduct of the primaries supervised by the controversial State Executives of the party led by Barr. Deniss Otiotio.

The APC, through a group known as the Grassroot Mobilizers Forum of APC, Bayelsa State chapter, in a letter to the National Leadership of the party led by Senator Adamu Abdullahi and titled
“A PLEA TO LEGALIZE BAYELSA STATE FORTHCOMING PRIMARY ELECTIONS AND TO RESOLVE A PROTRACTED DISUNITY IN PARTY.”, allege that the plot by the PDP is already stopping aspirants from picking Nomination and expression of Interest Forms for the forthcoming primaries of the party in the state.

The group, in the letter signed by the Chairman of the group, Elder Indutimi Komonibo, Vice Chairman, Pastor Reuben Wilson and Secetary-General, Barr. Dallas Ebibi, claimed that the fear within the State chapter of the APC was due to the fact that someone somewhere is planning Evil against the Party for disobeying the directive of the National Reconciliation Committee.

According to the group, “his again is very worrisome indeed, aspirants are afraid to pick nomination forms for the forth coming primaries in Bayelsa State.
But in order to put the records correctly, and to save the forthcoming primaries of APC Bayelsa State, we wish to further communicate to you in writing the “TRAP” the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has set to fault the Primaries in Bayelsa State.”

“With due respect Sir, the “BAIT” the PDP is planning to use to set the “TRAP” is the invalid ward, LGA/State Executives as declared by the Courts.”

The group also recalled that the present quamire the Bayelsa APC found itself was causes by the refusal of party leaders to honour the memorandum dated 25th of November 2021, to address the disunity among stake holders in Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress and to put the record correctly in the forth coming primaries in Bayelsa State.

According to the group, the memorandum which was whereas canvassed before the Senator Adamu’s National Reconciliation Committee and the Committee resolved that, H.E Timipre Sylva, Minister of State Petroleum resources should call for a stake holders meeting in Bayelsa State to be hosted by Chief David Lyon to finally resolve all the crises rocking the Bayelsa APC and withdraw all pending Court Cases within 7 days and report back to the Committee.

“The above humble decision to unite the factions of APC in the State by the National Reconciliation Committee was paid a deaf ear and the Caretaker Committee based on the National reconciliation Committee’s recommendations and the fact
16th April, 2022.”

The group also traced the allege repeated violation of court orders and directives by the party in the state, pointing out that ” In Bayelsa State a day to the Ward Congresses, a court order was issued to stop the ward, Local and State congresses respectively in the High Court at Yenagoa by aggrieved members of APC.Within the period the order was issued, the APC through their legal counsel filed an appeal in the court of Appeal, Port Harcourt with Appeal No CA/PH/246/2021 to vacate the order.”

“Within the same period as the appeal is still pending in Court of Appeal, the APC Former State Secretary of Bayelsa State wrote a letter dated 2nd of September 2021 to INEC to witness the Ward and LGA Congresses which was scheduled by them for 3rd and 4th September, 2021 respectively.
A two days’ notice is a violation of the electoral law. While the electoral law says a 21 days’ notice must be given to INEC to witness any political party congresses. Also their action was a contempt of Court by conducting Congresses while the Court order was still subsisting in suit No. CA/PH/246/2021.”

“(That the law says anyhow an order of court injunction is stupid, it should be obeyed).
The Appeal Court said that, the Appeal filed by the APC to vacate the order in Bayelsa State Ward. LGA & State Congresses is fundamentally defective. In a unanimous Judgement the Court went on the say that the congresses conducted within that period is invalid.By that pronouncement of the Appeal court, all the purported elected officers in those congresses are invalid.The Court of Appeal went on to say that the respondent in the Appeal can file for a contempt of Court against the appellant by disobeying the Court order of the trial Court.”

The concerned APC members however suggested that the National Leadership should assist by moving the Bayelsa chapter of the party from it’s present debacle and give the party primaries legal backing in Bayelsa State, a Caretaker Committee should be setup and should be directed to liaise with the South-South Zone of the party to oversee the conduct and activities of the State House of Assembly, House of Reps, Senatorial Primaries and the congress for National delegates in Bayelsa State.

“The mode of Election in Bayelsa State should be by direct primaries as there are no supposed Exco and delegates in Bayelsa State APC.Special Committee should be setup in collaboration with the National Officers of APC who are from the Zone to resolve all the crises in the State.An Emergency unity rally should be promoted urgently in Bayelsa State to bring lasting peace and all pending Court.”

They also suggested that all cases of APC in the State should be withdrawn after a round table meeting of Chief Timipre Sylva, Chief David Lyon and Senator Heineken Lokpobiri to be convened by the Party,” That the party at the National level should rather invite only statutory Delegates in Bayelsa State to escape the legal issues that have being set or trapped by people’s Democratic Party (PDP) in forth coming special convention.”

“That the State Chairman of Bayelsa APC should be Ex Communicated forth with and all activities for Bayelsa should be handle by the South-South Zone. Therefore, we employ your good office to do justice to this letter.”

Comments

comments