A faction of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa on Saturday said it accepted the decision of the National Convention Committee of the party to exclude the state’s delegates from voting due to issues of pending litigation over the Ward, Local Government and State congresses.
According to the faction loyal to the Former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the decision has given relief to aggrieved members of the party and renewed the trust of the progressive members in the state that the national leadership of the party was sincere.
A member of the faction, Hon. Sunday Frank Okputu, while speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa, argued that the decision not to allow all delegates of the party from Bayelsa State to vote was right and have saved the party from any disaster that may arise from the subsisting litigation over the authenticity of the last ward, local government and State congresses.
Frank-Okputu commended the caretaker leadership, the Reconciliation Committee and every member of the APC for upholding the agitations of those against impunity in Bayelsa APC.
He said: “They have saved the national leadership of the party from doom because the pending litigations could damage the outcome of the convention. It will ensure that there is sanity in the process.
“The decision is good and will ensure that there is sanity in the way things are done within the party. You cannot run into a house from the back door and claim to be right. The decision to exclude purported delegates from Bayelsa will ensure that the right things are done in line with the provisions of party rules and the Electoral Act as ammended.”
Frank-Okputu also commended party faithfuls who have been steadfast and supporting that the right things be done in Bayelsa APC,” I thank all party faithfuls in Bayelsa that kept faith with the true progressives led by Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri. It shows we were on the right path and to ensure the right people are allowed to lead the party in the state.”
Recall that the Secretary of the subcommittee of Accreditation, Alhaji Tijjani Musa Tumsah had announced that only statutory delegates from Sokoto, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Taraba States will be allowed to vote due to pending litigations.