A group, Bayelsa All Progressives Congress (APC) Movement for Good Leadership and Governance (BAMGLG), has accused the Minister of State, Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri of working for Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) against the APC governorship candidate in the November 11 governorship election, Chief Timipre Sylva.
The group in a statement signed by its President, Ebipade Godknows and Secretary, Mrs Evelyn Dogood accused Lokpobiri of striking a deal with Diri ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
According to the group, as part of the deal, Diri through Lokpobiri is bankrolling the court case instituted by Deme Kolomo at the Federal High Court, Abuja which disqualified Sylva from contesting the elections.
BAMGLG which traced Lokpobiri’s grouse with Sylva to 2019 when the latter supported David Lyon for the governorship instead of him noted that since then, Lokpobiri has been at loggerheads with Sylva and is now engaging in anti-party activity to frustrate APC.
The group pointed out that rather than use his position to boost the chances of the party ahead of the governorship election, Lokpobiri has continued to work with the PDP while refusing to attend all stakeholders meetings called by the party.
“Two weeks to the Bayelsa State gubernatorial election, it is worrisome that nothing has been seen or heard as contribution from Sen Heineken Lokpobiri to the election of Chief Timipre Sylva as the governor of Bayelsa State.
“Sen Heineken Lokpobiri has not attended any stakeholders meeting in the state even at this critical moment of going to elections. He has also not attended any of our campaigns; even when the campaign train went to Ekeremor, his local government, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri refused to attend.
“Sen Heineken Lokpobiri’s core supporters in Bayelsa are openly campaigning for the PDP. The group sees this as a great danger for the APC in Bayelsa and are calling on Mr President and the national Chairman of the party to quickly intervene and call Sen Heineken to order.