The Legal Adviser of the South-South zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chukwuemeke Ogbuobodo, along with other zonal officers, has criticized the recent suspension of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, by the party’s local government executive in Bayelsa State. In a statement, Ogbuobodo labeled the suspension as illegal and void, asserting that the local executive lacks the authority to make such a judgment.
Ogbuobodo referenced the APC’s Constitution, specifically Article 21.3, which outlines the proper procedures for addressing complaints or allegations within the party. He emphasized that the local council executive must adhere to the rule of law and cannot position themselves as superior to others within the party. “APC is not a party for supermen but a party guided by rules of law,” he stated.
The suspension of Lokpobiri, along with the former gubernatorial candidate David Lyon, was announced in separate press briefings by the APC in the Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor local government areas. However, Ogbuobodo reminded those behind these actions that the entire state executive had been invalidated by a decision from the Bayelsa State High Court in Suit No YHC/16/2022.
He warned that the recent actions by the local government executive are not only contrary to the APC’s Constitution but also violate the laws of the land. To prevent further disruption in the party’s affairs, given the current vacuum created by the High Court’s judgment, Ogbuobodo stated that South-South APC leaders will promptly engage the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to appoint a caretaker committee. This committee will oversee the party’s activities in Bayelsa State until a new state executive can be elected.
Ogbuobodo’s statement underscores the ongoing internal conflicts within the APC in Bayelsa and highlights the legal complexities surrounding party governance in the region.
