Bayelsa APC Suspends 7 More Members

The All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State, on Sunday, suspended seven members indefinitely for alleged anti-party activities.

Those suspended by the Sagbama Local Government Area chapter of the party were Peres Peretu, Matthew Karimo, Major Oputa, Tangi Samuel, King Bolouyi Sufadoh, Goodluck Ebomu, and Youdio-Gwei Benjamin.

The Sunday’s development followed the Friday suspension of the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and the party’s 2019 governorship candidate in the state, David Lyon, for alleged anti-party activities by the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

Also suspended alongside Lokpobiri were the Commissioner for Power, Kharim Kumoko, Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Peres Biewari, former APC state chairman, Mr Jothan Amos, an ex-officio member of the National Executive Council, Godbless Diriwari, and Southern Ijaw APC Youth Leader, Sabi Morgan.

Stating the reason for the latest development in the state chapter of the party, the Chairman of Sagbama Local Government chapter of the APC, Jonah Abeke, said, “In the 2023 National Assembly, presidential and gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State, the suspended members openly worked for Governor Douye Diri and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“It is on this note that we, the undersigned executive of the Sagbama Local Government Area APC, hereby suspend them indefinitely from the party.

“Their suspension is hereby transmitted to the State Executive Committee of our party for ratification.”

Earlier, before the press briefing, some hired thugs attacked the Da Crib Hotel, the venue of the event and attacked journalists.

The Chairman of the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bayelsa State council, Mr Tife Owolabi, was among those injured.

Owolabi bled from the forehead and left hand while Jacobson Park of People’s FM 93.1 had swelling in his hand where he was hit with a flagstaff.

As the thug unleashed an attack on the people, everyone scampered for safety while the press briefing was temporarily halted.

It took the intervention of security men, including operatives of the state security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo, to restore normalcy.