The South-South Zonal Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress, Chukwuemeke Ogbuobodo, along with other zonal officers, has strongly condemned the suspension of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, by the party’s executive in his local government area in Bayelsa State.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Ogbuobodo declared that the South-South zonal officers reject the suspension, describing it as illegal, null, and void. He argued that the local government executive does not have the authority to be a judge in its own case.
Ogbuobodo referred the local government council party executive, and “whoever is sponsoring it,” to article 21.3 (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (a) (b) (c) (d) and (e) of the APC Constitution, emphasizing the correct procedure for hearing and determining complaints or allegations.
He also warned the local council executive that “they are not above the law and should not see any other person as beneath it.” He added, “APC is not a party for supermen but a party guided by rules of law.”
The APC in Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor local government areas had, in separate press briefings last week, announced the suspension of Lokpobiri and David Lyon, the party’s 2019 gubernatorial candidate in Bayelsa State. However, Ogbuobodo warned those behind these suspensions to remember that the state executives had been invalidated by the Bayelsa State High Court in Suit No YHC/16/2022. He questioned, “So who gave you the power to suspend the Minister?”
Ogbuobodo stated that the decision by the so-called LG Executive of APC is not recognized by the party’s Constitution or the laws of the land.
To prevent such actions by “imposters” within the party in Bayelsa, given the current vacuum created by the High Court judgment in Suit No. YHC/16/2022, Ogbuobodo announced that party chieftains in the South-South zone would move to get the APC National Working Committee to appoint a caretaker committee to oversee the party’s activities in the state until a new state executive is elected.
He urged party members in Bayelsa and the general public to disregard the suspension of Senator Lokpobiri, calling the individuals behind it “confused.”
Ogbuobodo also praised Senator Lokpobiri for his significant contributions to the success of President Bola Tinubu’s administration as the Minister of State for Petroleum and urged him to remain focused, despite the actions of those who, he said, “do not mean well for the state.”
He said, “Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has demonstrated capacity as a minister and has attracted meaningful development projects to Bayelsa in particular and the South-South region in general.
“The action of these individuals was borne out of envy and a wicked plot to destabilize APC in Bayelsa State and the South-South Zone.
“This is why we condemn and reject the unlawful act and we urge all well-meaning party members in the country to do the same.”