Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bayelsa State chapter, worsened , on Wednesday, when the state party’s stakeholders disowned the duo of Chief Timipre Sylva and Minister of State for Agriculture, Hon. Heineken Lokpobiri, as leaders of the party in the state.

The stakeholders led by former Speaker and former acting Governor of the state, Hon. Nestor Ibinabo, accused the two party chieftains of flouting regulations of the party by conducting parallel Congresses at their private homes where they allegedly compiled some names as elected officers.

Speaking to newsmen after a closed door meeting with APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, at the party’s national secretariat Abuja, the stakeholders said they visited to update the national leadership about what transpired in the state during the congresses.

“We have come to confer with the party’s national leadership. You are aware that ward, local government and state congresses were held across the country. In Bayelsa, the congresses conducted by the panel sent to the state by the party leadership and which produced Joseph Fafi, the incumbent chairman of the party in the state are the genuine congresses.

“Parallel Congresses we heard, were also held. And in a situation like this , as stakeholders we felt we should come and let the party know at the national level .

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“For us, we don’t know of any factional chairman of APC in Bayelsa state. We only know Fafi and it is only the Congress Fafi attended that is the authentic. We have not come to lodge any complain or address grievances.

“We have come to say that what the Congress committee did in Bayelsa State in respect of the ward, local government and state congresses was the right thing,” Ibinabo said.

Asked whether they are on the same page with the state leaders of the party, the leader of the delegation said: “I think the constitution of our party does not give room to ascribing anybody as the leader of our party in the state. We are all equal members of the party.”

“We heard that former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva and Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri gathered certain persons in their home to conduct parallel congress. They wrote names of people as officers of the party at various levels during the congress,” he said.

The delegation had Amb Kenneth Oboro, former House of Representatives member, Dr Stella Dogu, House of Assembly members, APC chairmen of six out of the eight local government areas of Bayelsa.