The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekeremor Local Government Area (LGA), Bayelsa, has suspended Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, over allegations of supporting the re-election bid of Douye Diri, the incumbent governor of the state, during the 2023 gubernatorial election.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Mitin Eniekenemi, chairman of the APC in Ekeremor, accused Lokpobiri of undermining the party since his appointment as minister. Eniekenemi claimed that Lokpobiri had openly supported Governor Diri, who belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“In the 2023 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State, he led a group of disgruntled party members to openly support and work for Douye Diri of the PDP and was compensated by the PDP-led government,” Eniekenemi said, according to PUNCH.
He further stated that Kharim Kumoko, a close associate of Lokpobiri, was appointed as Commissioner for Power in Bayelsa after being nominated by the minister.
“It is on record that since the day he was appointed as minister, he has been fighting the party in Bayelsa state and has refused to make peace despite all entreaties,” Eniekenemi added.
In a related development, Ebikazi Gbefa, chair of the APC in Southern Ijaw LGA, announced the suspension of David Lyon, the party’s 2019 governorship candidate, along with seven others for alleged anti-party activities. Gbefa claimed that Lyon and his associates had also supported PDP candidates in the 2023 elections, leading to rewards from the ruling government.
Gbefa said, “For example, Perepuighe Biewari, Lyon’s personal assistant, was nominated by Lyon and appointed as the current Commissioner for Lands and Survey in the Douye Diri administration.”
Both Lokpobiri and Lyon’s suspensions will need to be ratified by the APC’s State Working Committee, National Working Committee (NWC), and National Executive Committee (NEC) before taking full effect.
