Bayelsa: Court stops APC ward congresses

A Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa has stopped the All Progressives Congress (APC) from conducting its ward congresses scheduled to hold on Saturday in the state.

The presiding judge, Justice Iniekenimi Uzaka, issued the order pending the determination of a motion on notice before the court.

Justice Uzaka adjourned the matter until August 9, 2021 for hearing.

There have been schisms in the APC fold in the state resulting in two factions. One is loyal to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and the other is loyal to a former Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

The Sylva faction is led by Chief Jothan Amos while that of Lokpobiri’s faction is chaired by one Ebierien Itubor.

It was gathered that prior to the court’s order, the two factions were busy preparing for the congress at their parallel state secretariats in Yenagoa.

It was also gathered that participation forms had been distributed to each ward at the two secretariats to be filled and submitted by candidates.

Both Itubor and the acting Secretary of Sylva’s group, Alabo Martin, claimed that their camps had the backing of the APC National Committee.

Martin had equally claimed that stakeholders of the party met and adopted the consensus option of affirmation to elect the ward executives.