‘No crisis in Bayelsa APC’

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Izzi Yakiah, has said there is no faction in the party in Bayelsa State, as the party is planning for the forthcoming congress as a united family.

This is coming after last week’s opening of a parallel secretariat of the party in the state by a faction.

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Chief Yakiah, who is a founding member of the party, said the party had only one leader in the state, who is the current Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, and one executive, led by Mr Amos Jothan.

A group led by Ebierien Fala Itubor and said to be loyal to the immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, had last week opened a parallel secretariat in Opolo axis of Yenagoa, claiming they are the authentic party exco in the state.

But Yakiah, who said the leadership of the party had groomed the party in the state to become a formidable platform, said those claiming to be a faction of the party were just out to create crisis ahead of the forthcoming convention.

He said: “In all fairness, there is no crisis rocking the APC in Bayelsa State, all issues were resolved prior to the last governorship election, the party came in one accord, that was why we were able to win that election

“If not for the Supreme Court judgement, we would have formed the government in the state.

“APC in Bayelsa State has one leader, and he is Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva and he had made several leadership strides.

“In the cause of his progressive leadership qualities, APC was able to win 43% of the last presidential election, which is the highest won by the party in South-South and South-East regions.

“The party also won two House of Representatives seats, one senate and four state assembly seats in Bayelsa State.

“Sylva brought APC to Bayelsa state and he has stood firm for the party. He has carried the party to the level where Bayelsans are very happy with it.

“During the last stakeholders meeting in February at our secretariat along Yenagoa-Mbiama road, all those claimed to be faction today attended, and we all deliberated on the party’s unity and how to win the future elections in the state.

“The so-called splinter group today are only out to cause crisis in the party ahead of the convention but we are more united to experience such crisis. We have built Bayelsa APC beyond such divisive politics,” he said.