The Bayelsa West People's Assembly (BWPA), has refuted the misleading claims of Rescue Mission Youth Vanguard of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri's respect for zoning arrangement in Bayelsa West.
“Lokpobiri who hails from Ekeremor Local Government Area, served as Senator representing Bayelsa West for two tenures, from 5th of June, 2007 to 6th of June, 2015, recontested for third tenure because there was no zoning arrangement.
“His third tenure senate ambition was stopped by political leaders, stakeholders and the leadership of the PDP as at then, as he challenged the party primaries from Federal High Court down to Supreme Court against the winner, Sen. Foster Ogola from Sagbama Local Government Area.
In a statement issued by the group Publicity Secretary, Mr Perekeme Oyinkuro in Yenagoa, on Thursday, 29th May, described the claims of Sen. Lokpobiri's compliance to the zoning arrangement in Bayelsa West, as mischievous and misleading.
The group clearly pointed out that Sen. Lokpobiri keenly contested the PDP primaries with Sen. Ogola as there was no zoning, adding that Lokpobiri even challenged the outcome of the party primaries from Federal High Court to the Court of Appeal, and ended in Supreme Court.
Perekeme narrating the fierce political battle of the outcome of the Bayelsa West PDP Senate primaries, noted that thugs were mobilized by the losing party to interrupt the Federal High Court proceedings in Yenagoa, the state capital in 2015.
“After losing at Supreme Court to Sen. Ogola, as the authentic PDP Bayelsa West Senatorial Candidate in 2015, Sen. Lokpobiri defected from the PDP to the APC in bid to fight against his former party in the 2015 gubernatorial election.
“In his desperateness to fight against PDP and its gubernatorial candidate for not allowing him to go for third tenure in the senate, Lokpobiri was appointed as Director General of the APC Governorship Campaign Council in the 2015 Bayelsa gubernatorial election,” the group factually added.
Perekeme reiterating the third tenure senatorial ambition of Sen. Lokpobiri as there was no zoning, said his third tenure senatorial ambition was only stopped by political leaders, stakeholders from Bayelsa West and the leadership of the PDP as at then.
Senator Dickson as then Governor of Bayelsa State, as the leader of the PDP with the support of leaders and stakeholders, stood gallantly to defend what was right, and not misleading claims of Sen. Lokpobiri losing the party primaries because of zoning. If there was zoning, he wouldn't have contested at all.
As a revengeful politician that places individual interest above the interest of the generality, Lokpobiri did everything possible to ensure that Dickson who is from his senatorial district lost his re-election to the APC gubernatorial candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva in the 2015 guber race.
The group noted that Lokpobiri who was the APC governorship campaign council director general, used every connection and political tools available at his disposal to frustrate and truncate the winning chances of the then Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Dickson for second tenure.
“But unfortunately for APC and its governorship candidate, Senator Dickson as a smart, strategic and experienced politician, won the gubernatorial election convincingly with a wide margin against his major opponent Sylva in the fiercely contested election,” the group added.
“As a compensation for fighting Dickson to reduce his chances of winning his re-election in Bayelsa West, especially Ekeremor LGA, Sylva nominated Lokpobiri for a ministerial appointment as a fulfillment of their agreement against other deserving interests within the APC as at then.
The group referencing the desperate actions of Lokpobiri challenging the PDP primaries from Federal High Court down to Supreme Court, debunked the claims of Lokpobiri maintaining zoning in Bayelsa West.
“On the day of judgment of the PDP Bayelsa West Senate primaries in Federal High Court Yenagoa, thugs were mobilized by Sen. Lokpobiri to disrupt court proceedings, where so many people sustained injuries, and were hospitalized for months.
“Considering the desperate actions of Lokpobiri to return to the Senate for third tenure in 2015, is a clear indication and testimony that there was no zoning, neither did he lost the primaries because of zoning in Bayelsa West senatorial district.
“If Senator Dickson with the support of political leaders and stakeholders from Bayelsa West didn't stood firm to stop Sen. Lokpobiri's third tenure senatorial ambition, Lokpobiri would have returned to the senate, as zoning was not the basis, but only decided by leaders,” the group added.
Perekeme urged Lokpobiri to reframe from the sponsorship of cash and carry political groups to campaign for zoning as a non-believer of zoning in Bayelsa West, and made everything possible to return to the senate for third tenure, as there was no zoning in the senatorial district.
“Sen. Lokpobiri should concentrate on attracting infrastructural projects and employment opportunities to the people of Bayelsa West to enhance their standard of living. He should work with leaders and stakeholders towards building peace, unity and stability in the senatorial district,” he added.
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