By Our Correspondent
Stakeholders, elders, and youths of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have dismissed the purported suspension of the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri from the party, over alleged anti-party activities by a former APC Ekeremor Local Government Chairman, Mr. Mitin Eniekenemi
The group in a statement jointly signed by Comrade Stanley Bolou-Ebi and Comrade Mercy Ineye, urged Mr Mitin to retract his press statements on the alleged Minister’s suspension and others in 24 hours or risk being sued for defamation and contempt of Court.
The APC stakeholders described the action by Mitin as an illegitimate and baseless act, saying his tenure ended over a year ago following a Federal High Court ruling.
The stakeholders reiterated their confidence in Lokpobiri’s leadership and urged him to remain focused on his duties, rejecting attempts to distract him with false allegations.
The stakeholders argue that Mr. Mitin lacks the authority to suspend Senator Lokpobiri, citing APC’s constitution, which places disciplinary actions within the purview of a ward executive, not a Local Government Area (LGA) executive, saying that since Mitin and Lokpobiri belong to different wards, the former chairman’s claims hold no weight.
Describing the suspension attempt as a “joke taken too far,” the group asserted that the move is a deliberate attempt to undermine Lokpobiri’s leadership within the party ahead of critical congresses.
They further stated that Lokpobiri, as the highest-ranking APC official in Bayelsa, has the full support of the grassroots and remains committed to advancing President Tinubu’s reforms in the petroleum sector.
The group has called for an investigation into Mitin’s actions, which they consider defamatory and potentially disruptive to public peace. They demanded Mitin retract his statements within 24 hours or face legal consequences. Despite the controversy, the stakeholders reaffirmed their unwavering loyalty to Senator Lokpobiri, praising his efforts in promoting party unity and ensuring progress in Nigeria’s oil sector.
The statement reads in part, “First, Mr Eniekenemi Senator Mitin has no locus standi in the APC to suspend an incumbent Minister Heineken Lokpobiri and others, as the said Mitin is no longer the Chairman of APC in Ekeremor Local Government Area where the Minister hails from.
“Secondly, the APC constitution is clear on disciplinary procedures on who has powers to suspend a member based on allegations of anti-party claims as orchestrated by the said Mr Eniekenemi Senator Mitin.
“For the avoidance of doubt let it be stated that the power of suspension of a party member found wanting on allegations, is vested on the party’s ward executive and not on the LGA executive as Mr Eniekenemi Mitin is only an impersonator and therefore, lacks such powers to suspend an incumbent Minister, who is not of the same ward as himself.
“Minister Heineken Lokpobiri is of Ward 8 while Mr Mitin is of Ward 10 both in Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State and therefore, a member, who is not a ward executive cannot suspend another member from a different ward”, the group cited.
The APC stakeholders said it also observed with dismay that there were misnomers in the press release by Mr Mitin, who claimed that a disciplinary committee was set up in 2020, four years ago, to try the alleged offenders for anti-party activities of gross misconduct.
The statement reads further, “We state that such claims of an ad-hoc disciplinary committee were never set up before the abrupt termination of the Mitin-led Local Government Executive in January last year by a High Court ruling.
“We, therefore, state that the actions of Mr Eniekenemi Mitin are criminal and tantamount to cyberstalking, defamation of character and impersonation, likely to cause a breach of public peace within and outside the party and must be resisted by every well-meaning stakeholder in the APC.
“We insist that the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa Command should swiftly investigate the actions of the said Mr Mitin with a view to bringing him as culprit to book”, the group reiterated.