As the campaign for the November 11 governorship poll in Bayelsa State reaches its peak, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has refuted reports suggesting cracks within its ranks.
Secretary, media and publicity committee, of the party’s national campaign council and former spokesman of the party, Hon Yekini Nabena, implored the general public to disregard the reports of crisis, just as he chided the state governor, Douye Diri over the report
In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Nabena described as “sponsored media reports” the reports suggesting that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, and 2019 APC Governorship candidate, David Lyon, were working for Governor Douye Diri.
According to him, all suggestions of a crack in the camp of the APC in Bayelsa is a ruse.
He said the media report which quoted some unnamed sources is a propaganda sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to cause disaffection within the winning APC team.
Nabena released 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 employed by the PDP in Bayelsa towards the governorship election will not work because people have made up their minds to sack the PDP administration for under-developing the state.
The APC chieftain noted: “Our attention has been drawn to a sponsored propaganda in some quarters suggesting cracks in the solid camp of the Bayelsa APC ahead of the November 11 governorship election in the State.
“We will not be distracted because we are fully aware how desperate the incumbent Governor governor Douye Diri has become, therefore employing all manner 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 the under-developer of an oil rich state.
“For the benefit of the 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 himself and massive mobilization has since began.
“We, however, sympathize 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 Bayelsans in general to remain calm, expectant of landslide victory and disregard lies suggesting cracks in our camp,” Nabena said.
An online news portal had reported plots 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 the governor had conceded 50 slots of senior special assistants (SSAs) each to Lokpobiri and Lyon and has also promised them some measure of influence in decision-making.
