National Convention: APC bars delegates from A’Ibom, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Taraba

There are indications that delegates from states whose excos have litigations will not be voting at the ongoing national convention of the All Progressives Congress holding in Abuja.

The States include Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Taraba.

The election of the state executive committees of the affected states are subject to litigation, hence the decision of the party.

It was gathered that the party’s decision may affect only the elected delegated while the statutory delegates from the affected states will be allowed to vote.

Reacting to the party decision, a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Bayelsa State has already accepted the decision of the National Convention Committee of the Party to exclude Bayelsa delegates from voting due to issues of pending litigation over the Wards, Local Government and State congresses.

It was gathered that due to the new development, only statutory delegates from the state will participate in the ongoing APC convention.

According to the factional group loyal to the former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the decision has given relief to the aggrieved members of the party in the state and renewed the trust of the progressive members of the party in the national leadership of the party.

A member of the faction, Hon. Sunday Frank Okputu, while speaking in Yenagoa on Saturday, argued that the decision not to allow all delegates of the party from Bayelsa State is right and has saved the party from any disaster that may arise from the subsisting litigation over the authenticity of the last ward, local government, and state congresses.

Frank-Okputu commended the caretaker leadership, the Reconciliation Committee, and every member of the APC for upholding the agitations of those against impunity in Bayelsa APC.

“They have saved the national leadership of the party from doom because the pending litigations could damage the outcome of the convention. It will ensure that there is sanity in the process.”

“The decision is worthy of emulation and will ensure that there is sanity in the way things are done within the party. You cannot run into a house from the back door and claim to be right. The decision to exclude purported delegates from Bayelsa will ensure that the right things are done in line with the provisions of party rules and the Electoral Act as amended.”

He added, “I thank all party faithful in Bayelsa that kept faith with the true progressives led by Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri. It shows we were on the right path and to ensure the right people are allowed to lead the party in the state.”

It would be recalled that few hours to the National Convention of the party, the Secretary of the subcommittee of Accreditation, Alhaji Tijani Musa Tumsah, had announced that only statutory delegates from Sokoto, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom and Taraba States will be allowed to vote due to pending litigations.