A group known as the Bayelsa APC Progressive Movement For Good Leadership And Governance,a pro APC support group in Bayelsa State has accused the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Sen.Heineken Lokpobiri for anti-party activities.
This was made known In a protest letter,on Monday, issued to Newsmen by the President, Dr. Ebipade Godknows, and Secretary, Mrs. Evelyn Dogood,said the act of the Minister may affect the chances of the candidate of APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, in the November 11 gubernatorial election in the state.
The group also note that barely two weeks to the election in the state, the silence and non appearance of Senator Lokpobiri at APC activities and election campaign was worrisome.
They also disclosed that traced back to 2019 Lokpobiri has been fighting the party after he lost the bid to get the gubernatorial ticket of the party, adding that he kept fighting with series of litigations.
The statement reads”As a party we thought that since he is now holding such a major position as Minister of Petroleum, he should have used his position to better the chances of the party but the reverse is the case”
“He (Lokpobiri) has not attended any stakeholders meeting in the state even at this critical moments of going into elections, he has not also attended any of our campaigns even when the campaign train went to Ekeremor Local Government, his own area. He has devoted his ample time to meet with Gov.Diri and even facilitate Diri’s visit to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu”
It’s worthy to state that Sen.Heineken Lokpobiri collected money from Governor Diri in the sum of #1,000.000.000 (One Billion Naira) only to work for him and fund the sponsored case against the Bayelsa APC. It’s also on record that Sen.Heineken Lokpobiri is the contractor who constructed the pavilion in Ekeremor awarded by the Bayelsa state and he has been fully paid.
Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri’s core supporters in Bayelsa State are openly campaigning for the PDP and their candidates for the November 11 2023 election.
The group see this as a great danger for the APC in Bayelsa State and are calling on Mr President and the National party chairman APC to quickly intervene and call on Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri to order.
The group also have it on good authority that Gov Diri and Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri have an agreement that he Diri will hand over power to Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri should he wins the election for his second tenure.That is one of the main reasons Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri is engaging on anti-party activities.
We write this letter in good faith because we are committed members of the APC and we want our party to occupy the Bayelsa State Government House this time around.