Bayelsa governorship: APC youths lament internal rift

Youths from the Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend raised the alarm over worsening post primary election’s crisis rocking the party ahead of the November 16 governorship election in the state.

The youths under the auspices of the APC Youths Alliance (APCYA) said in a statement that the outcome and manner of the party’s gubernatorial primary left it more divided that ever before.

The Coordinator of the APCYA, Dr. Joseph Ikileka Temple, lamented that the APC might not actualize its desire to wrest control of political powers from the PDP if the party failed to reconcile all the aggrieved aspirants.

He stated for in stance that one of the most prominent aspirants, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, rejected the outcome of the primaries describing it as a sham and mockery of democracy.

He lamented that top leaders of the APC in the eight local government areas of Bayelsa led by former Special Adviser, Security to former Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, Chief Richard Kpodo were supporting Lokpobiri’s position against the election that produced David Lyon as the candidate.

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Temple said Lokpobiri was bitter and had vowed to reject the result of the primaries because of his belief that the election was an unacceptable charade designed to impose Lyon as the gubernatorial candidate.

He said that another founding member and gubernatorial aspirant of the party, Preye Aganaba, dragged the party and its candidate, Lyon, to the High Court in Yenagoa where he demanded cancellation of the election.

The youth group expressed deep concern that the leaders of the APC, and even the elders Forum were sharply divided over the emergence Lyon as the party’ candidate.

He said that the APC was faced with the grim reality of repeating what happened in Zamfara State where the party’s candidates were disqualified in the last election.