Bayelsa poll: APC insist no crack among party stalwart, insist on defeat of Diri

Ahead of November 11 governorship poll in Bayelsa, the All progressives Congress (APC) as faulted the notions held in certain quarters that there is a crack among the rank of chieftains of the party.

The Secretary, Media and Publicity Committee of the National Gubernatorial Campaign Council for the state, Hon. Yekini Nabena to disregard the claim by the ruling peoples democratic party (PDP) in the state that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, and 2019 governorship candidate, David Lyon, are working for Governor Douye Diri.

Nabena, who is a former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary said all suggestions of a crack in the camp of the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa is a ruse.

Nabena described the report as a propaganda sponsored by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) camp to cause disaffection within the winning APC team.

Some Dailies had reported plot of an unholy alliance between Governor Douye Diri, who is seeking re-election on the platform of PDP, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and 2019 governorship candidate, David Lyon.

Quoting sources, the media reports said Governor had conceded 50 slots of Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) each to Lokpobiri and Lyon and has also promised them some measures of influence on decision-making.

But faulting the reports through a statement released Monday in Abuja, Nabena, however, released a recent pictures where both Lokpobiri and Lyon recommitted themselves before the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to deliver Timipre Sylva and the party in Bayelsa.

Nabena said the propaganda tactics being employ by the PDP camp in Bayelsa towards the governorship election will not work because people have made up their minds to sack the PDP administration for underdeveloping the state.

The statement said: “Our attention has been drawn to a sponsored propaganda in some quarters suggesting cracks in the solid camp of the Bayelsa APC ahead of November 11 governorship election in the State.

“We will not be distracted because we are fully aware how desperate the incumbent governor Douye Diri has become, therefore employing all manners of tactics including propaganda and lies just to cause confusion but sadly for the PDP, it is just too late because Bayelsans have made up their minds to sack under-developer of a oil rich state.

“For the benefit of doubt, the attached pictures will tell doubters that the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the 2019 governorship candidate, David Lyon, most recently held a strategic meeting with our candidate in the presence of our National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, where everyone recommitted themselves and massive mobilisation has since began.

“We, however, sympathise with the restless Governor Diri and his camp for acting too late, bearing in mind that their days are numbered in the Bayelsa state government House.

“We urge all our party members, supporters and Byelsans in general to remain calm, expectant of landslide victory and disregard lies suggesting cracks in our camp,” Nabena said.