Sylva under fire for anti-party activities

• Suspended for secret visit to PDP

THE crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State since the conclusion of the 2015 governorship election took a different form at the weekend. APC governorship candidate in the election, Timipre Sylva, who has been in the storm of the inferno, got the hammer of discipline last Saturday from the state leadership of the party for suspected anti-party activities.

Sylva was defeated by Governor Seriake Dickson of the PDP in the December 2015 governorship election.

It was gathered that the APC suspended Timipre Sylva for making surreptitious visit to a governor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in one of the South-South states.

APC State Chairman in Bayelsa, Timipa Orunimighe, had in a statement at the weekend, revealed that action of the former Governor of Bayelsa State leading to the decision of APC leaders in the state. He stated that the decision was reached after due consultations with party stakeholders in the state.

The State Chairman had said that Sylva was plotting to form a parallel executive, and that he was engaging in acts that were not in tandem with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, leader of the party at the centre.

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“After due consultations with relevant stakeholders and elders in the state, the Bayelsa State Executive Committee at an emergency meeting, on Saturday, took the painful but necessary decision to suspend our Guber flag bearer in the 2015 election, Chief Timipre Sylva, pending the investigation of the following cases brought against him,” Orunmighe declared.

“We have it on good record, Timipre Sylva, last Tuesday, precisely, paid a clandestine visit to one of the south-south governors of the PDP; this is just one of the series of correspondents between them and we find it grossly unbecoming,” he said.

Orunimighe maintained: “This is in direct breach of article 21, under ‘Offences’ in the party constitution which states in section 2, ‘anti-party activities or any conduct, which is likely to embarrass or have adverse effect on the party or bring the party into hatred, contempt, ridicule or disrepute’ Is punishable.” He added: “Corruption, indiscipline and trading of political offices, we find it deeply embarrassing his relentless efforts to commercialise political offices.”

Orunmighe further said: “Worse still, is that, members of the opposition who vehemently stood against the change ideal and still do not believe in our party’s course are with him on the bargaining table. This is not in fidelity with the party’s constitution which states in article 21, section 1, subsection 3 that ‘…engaging in dishonest practices…” declaring that they are punishable by full stretch.

He affirmed that, “To save the image of the party and restore confidence among members, the state executive committee hereby suspends Chief Timipre Sylva and his cronies pending the conclusion of investigation. The committee will be inaugurated next week to look into the various allegations.”