Bayelsa APC meeting deadlocked over mode of primaries

• Emerhor withdraws from cases against Omo-Agege, Ogboru, others

A meeting to decide the mode of primaries in the forthcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Bayelsa State gubernatorial election almost ended in a stalemate as members disagreed over the Chairman, Jothan Amos’s attempt to force direct option on them.

Yesterday’s meeting, which was convened to choose the party’s standard bearer for the November 16 poll was attended by key stakeholders including former Governor Timipre Sylva, immediate past Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri.

Others are a former member of the President Buhari Campaign Council, Preye Aganaba and elected National Assembly members of the party.

However, the meeting became rowdy when Amos, told party faithful in his opening remarks that the direct option would be adopted for the primaries.

He told them the decision was to sustain the tempo of the party successes from the last National and State Assemblies election.

But he had hardly ended his speech when some party members shouted him down, a development that turned the meeting rowdy, as everyone left the venue.

However, representative of Southern Ijaw Constituency in the House of Representatives, Preye Oseke buttressed Amos’ position by asking members to remain calm, insisting that the decision on mode of primaries should not be allowed to polarise the party.

Sylva, also spoke on the need to remain calm, also insisted that Bayelsa was not the only state having governorship election this year and as such there should be no reasons for rancour.

But in their reactions, Aganaba and Lokpobiri argued that the meeting ended in a stalemate because the Chairman failed to follow due process.

They insisted that Amos could not just summon a stakeholders’ meeting and announce a mode of primaries without consulting the State Working Committee.

Meanwhile, leader of a faction of Delta State chapter of APC, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has withdrawn from all court cases against the Jones Erue-led faction.

He also urged members of Cyril Ogodo faction to sheath their swords and work for a united party with the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, governorship candidate, Great Ogboru and other party leaders in the state.

He reminded them that the leadership was under intense pressure to end the appeal at the Supreme Court in order not to jeopardise the standing of the Deputy Senate President at the National Assembly.