The All Progressives Congress, APC , executives in Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State, have announced the suspension of key party members, including the Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the 2019 governorship candidate of the state, David Lyon.
The suspensions, which also affected other notable members, were revealed during separate briefings held by APC executives from Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas on Friday in Yenagoa, the state capital.
In Ekeremor, the APC Chairman, Mitin Eniekenemi, alongside the local government executive members, confirmed the indefinite suspension of Lokpobiri and the Commissioner for Power, Kharim Kumoko. Eniekenemi said this decision followed a report submitted by the disciplinary committee established under Article 21.3(i) of the APC Constitution. He accused Lokpobiri of continuous anti-party activities since failing to secure the APC gubernatorial ticket in 2019.
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Eniekenemi explained that Lokpobiri’s grievances led him to support opposing candidates, including filing legal actions against the party and creating a factional state secretariat. He further alleged that Lokpobiri and his aides openly worked for Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 election, receiving rewards from the PDP-led government. Kumoko, Lokpobiri’s personal aide, was appointed Commissioner for Power as a result of this alliance.
Similarly, in Southern Ijaw, APC Chairman Ebikazi Gbefa announced the suspension of David Lyon and seven others, accusing them of sabotaging the party during both the 2020 Bayelsa Central senatorial bye-election and the 2023 gubernatorial election. Gbefa disclosed that Lyon’s faction openly supported PDP candidates, with some members benefiting from contracts and appointments under the Diri administration, such as Peres Biewari, Commissioner for Lands and Survey, who had been Lyon’s personal assistant.
Both APC executives emphasized that the suspensions were part of broader efforts to restore unity within the party and to hold members accountable for their actions. They also confirmed that the disciplinary actions had been referred to the state executive council for further ratification as the party looks to rebuild ahead of the 2027 elections.
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