SEN. LOKPOBIRI IN TROUBLE

APC CHAPTER IN BAYELSA DISOWNS MINISTER

KINGS OFURHE REPORTS   The loss of the elections at the state level in Bayelsa has resulted in crisis that is poised to tear the party apart.

Within the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa, internal wrangling have forced the party to take a dramatic turn following the party leadership's denial, on Tuesday, of Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, as a card-carrying-member of the party.

The state chapter chairman of the party, Chief Tiwei Timipa Orunimighe, made the allegation in his response to the Minister’s denial on the allegation of paying former Governor of the state, Timipre Sylva, before he was nominated to take the ministerial position meant for Bayelsa State in the President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

In reaction to the Minister’s denial, Chief Orunimighe challenged the minister to tell Nigerians which organ of the party issued him the membership card, accusing him of being a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite serving as a Minister in an APC government.

“It is common knowledge that the Minister has still not resigned from the PDP. We challenge him to produce a dated resignation letter from his party the PDP. He remains an outsider as no organ of the party has issued him a party card as at this moment”.

“No wonder he continues to be a mole for a South west PDP Governor. We are aware that the Federal Government understands the risk of keeping a mole at the highest level of government”, Orunimighe aid.

The state chapter chairman therefore called on both the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the Minister for Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh to be cautious with sensitive information in his audience as he is merely an opposition fifth-columnist bent on espionage on the federal government under the APC.