Immediate past minister of state for petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva is pleading with his successor, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri to join his faction of the APC in the state to move the party forward.
But Lokpobiri does not appear to be ready to heed the plea. The minister still believes that a court had nullified the processes that led to the emergence of the state exco of the party and, therefore, working with the Sylva backed exco would amount to support illegality.
There are two secretariats of the party in the state. While the one along Mbiama-Yenagoa Road has the blessing of Sylva, the secretariat along the Isaac Boro Expressway is run by Lokpobiri.
Last week, as the party met in what was described as an expanded stakeholders meeting, Lokpobiri as well as a former gubernatorial candidate of the party, David Lyon, were not in attendance.
When Sylva was answering questions from journalists after the event, he had pleaded with Lokpobiri to see reasons and join him in building the party, to enable it win the 2927 election for the president, Bola Tinubu.
Before then, the deputy national chairman, South, of the APC, Chief Emma Eneukwu, who represented the national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, had urged Sylva to ensure that there was unity within the APC family.
He had said “when I was coming, the national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, told me to tell Bayelsans that Bayelsa is very important to APC, and that whatever must be done to ensure Bayelsa delivers 100 percent during the 2027 election needs to be done. Therefore, the national secretariat is very conscious of what is happening here.
“The national chairman told me that he would come again to Bayelsa when he is sure unity is assured among all the rank and file of our members in Bayelsa. He is very determined to achieve that. So, the National Working Committee of APC, headed by Prof Yilwatda, is promising Bayelsans that in due course, unity will be totally achieved in the party in Bayelsa State.’’
“I want to appeal to you (Sylva). You are like a father to the party in Bayelsa. There is nobody that does not know your contributions to the party in Bayelsa, in terms of moral and financial support. There is nobody who would build a house and wants the house to be destroyed. “Please, be more tolerant. The national secretariat is asking that, even if there is a reconciliation committee, if you do not agree in your heart, there won’t be reconciliation. Please, put in more efforts to act as a father and be more tolerant.”
