ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Vrisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State on Wednesday worsened as the Fala Itubor-led faction of the party opens a parallel party secretariat in Yenagoa, the state capital.
The faction accused the party leader and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, of allegedly failing in his leadership role.
The parallel secretariat is located at the Dimrose junction and occupies a building used by former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, during his quest to become the party flagbearer in 2019.
The APC secretariat is located at Bay-Bridge area and occupies a building allegedly acquired by Timipre Sylva through proxies while he was the Governor of Bayelsa State.
The loyalists of Sylva, under the auspices of Timipre Sylva Supreme Ambassadors, from Sagbama Local Government Area, led by Comrade Ebikewenemor Romeo, dismissed the claim against Sylva. They insisted that there was no faction in the Bayelsa APC.
Also speaking, the party’s Organising Secretary, Comrade Tari Emperi, said Sylva had proved himself as a credible leader that accommodates all party members.
He described him as a performing minister that had attracted more development to the state despite his party affiliation.
He said the party was more united than before under Sylva despite the frivolous claims of the faction.
But it was gathered that the decision to open the parallel secretariat had exposed the anger among stakeholders against the leadership style of Sylva.
It was also gathered that most prominent stakeholders in the party including Senator Lokpobiri, Chief David Lyon and many others had resolved to confront Sylva on the control of the party.
They alleged that the poor leadership style Sylva was driving away party members in their numbers into the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state including the recent defection of the APC state Assembly member, Hon. Daniel Charles.
They also claimed that Sylva had neglected to call a stakeholders’ meeting to resolve issues that arose from the last governorship election and had allegedly neglected the party as well as engaging in anti-party activities with the alleged negotiation of the party’s 2020 governorship victory away to the PDP.
It was further gathered that the decision by the Itubor-led faction came a few days after they wrote a letter to the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led National Caretaker Committee that the gale of defections of party members to the PDP could only be halted by genuine reconciliation.
A close aide of the factional Chairman of the APC, who pleaded anonymity, claimed that some party members were angry with Sylva because of his alleged refusal to call an enlarged meeting of stakeholders to discuss the outcome of the 2020 governorship election.
He equally clamed that Sylva stopped his handpicked factional state Chairman Jothan Amos not to call for state executive council meetings, among other allegations.