Bayelsa state APC asks minister to resign, accuses Sylva

– Bayelsa state APC has asked the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri to resign his appointment
– The party accused him of buying his ministerial position
– APC chieftain, Timipre Sylva was accused of collecting money from Lokpobiri to get nominated as minister

The Bayelsa state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) is no longer with happy with the presence of the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri in the Federal Executive Council and have asked him to resign.

The party accused Lokpobiri of buying the ministerial slot meant for Bayelsa state from APC chieftain and governorship candidate in the last governorship election in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, Vanguard reports.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, March 30, state chairman of APC, Timipa Tiwei alleged that Sylva sidelined the leadership of the party in the state and tried to corner federal appointments for his cronies.

He claimed that Lokpobiri was not a genuine member of the party neither does he share the party’s vision of change.

Tiwei, who led other state excos said: “We also want to call on the Minister representing Bayelsa, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, the junior minister to resign his appointment. Reason being that he also paid for the slot of his ministerial position and I also believe those of us standing here know very well that he is not a member of the party.

“Why we are standing here before you today is because of the appointments that we feel were supposed to be given to those of us of the APC in Bayelsa. It’s a pity to say that for somebody like Timipre Sylva who was supposed to be the leader of the party, today turned against the party and sold our party slots.”

He therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the matter and ensure that true members of the party who contributed to the party’s victory in the 2015 elections are duly rewarded.

In a swift reaction, Sylva dismissed the allegations, maintaining that he nominated Lokpobiri for the ministerial appointment solely on merit.

He said: “They felt that they are the ones that started the party and, therefore, we should not deal with anybody, who is coming late into the party. When the ministerial slot came, the chairman told me he wanted to be minister and he was not qualified to be minister. His only experience in Nigeria is that he has been a local government chairman, and I made him a local government chairman.”

Two months ago, a couple of still serving in his government, while canvassing for the appointment of APC members in their stead.

They said 15 of the 36 individuals appointed as ministers by the president did not work for the party in the last elections and Lokpobiri  was mentioned as one of them.