APC reschedules Bayelsa primary

John Oyegun, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday said the party’s primary for the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa state, had been rescheduled.

Oyegun confirmed this to NAN in a telephone interview, saying the exercise of Tuesday was cancelled due to security challenges.

‘’The primary has been rescheduled; it had to be called off due to security challenges,’’ he said, adding that leadership of the party would meet to choose a new date for the exercise.

Attempt by the party to conduct the primary at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, on Tuesday was frustrated by fracas involving supporters of most of the 19 aspirants.

The situation made 14 aspirants, including Timi Alaibe, former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to stage a walk out.

Adams Oshiomhole, chairman of the primaries committee, was whisked out of the venue to avoid being attacked.

On his part, Timi Frank, deputy national publicity secretary of the ruling party, corroborated the chairman’s position on the exercise.

Frank alleged that Timipre Sylva, one of the aspirants and former governor of the state,  held a member of the committee under duress to declare him winner of the exercise.

Frank said neither the chairman of the primary committee nor the secretary was part of the exercise, which he described as “kangaroo primary”.

“I am speaking as a concerned citizen of Bayelsa that the purported primary is not acceptable anywhere,” he said.

“In a situation where all other aspirants walked out of the venue and a particular aspirant put a member of the primary election committee under duress to declare him winner is unacceptable.

“I believe the party will soon come up with a position on that fraud called primary and schedule a date when an acceptable primary will hold.”