The Bayelsa Labour Party (LP) is in crisis just 24 hours before the state’s governorship election.
Some party leaders are alleged to have abandoned the LP governorship candidate, Mr Udengs Eradiri, and openly expressed support for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Gov. Douye Diri.
Others are alleged to be supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Chief Timpre Sylva.
On Thursday, some members of the Bayelsa Executive of the LP, led by its Financial Secretary, Chief Anthony Oboghor, and the Organizing Secretary, Chief Tovie Pelesai, declared their support for Diri.
They claimed to be representing the party’s state executive members.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), another group of the LP executive met with Sylva, the APC candidate, in his Yenagoa villa for prospective endorsement.
In response to the incident, the Bayelsa Forum of Labour Party Local Government Chairmen accused those supporting Diri of accepting N100 million in order to abandon the party.
The forum’s Chairman, Mr John Toby, informed reporters that they were not surprised by the outcome, alleging that they had known some of the executive committee members as Diri’s party moles.
He said:
”As we predicted, these exco members went to the Governor and collected N100 million to endorse him and disown our candidate, Udengs Eradiri in a press conference.
“But God has already thrown heavy confusion in their midst because as we speak they are fighting over the money.
“They came back and declared N50 million to others and claimed that they sent N50 million to the national headquarters of our party.”
Toby however said the LP national chairman and other executive members had denied endorsing the move or collecting such money.
“We want to alert members of the public to be wary of these characters and masqueraders.
“They are only after their selfish interests because they view each election as an opportunity to make money from the state government,” he added.
He claimed that the same individuals diverted and shared money meant for Peter Obi’s presidential campaign in the state and almost sabotaged the event.
Toby urged LP supporters not to be distracted from their support for Eradiri, the party’s governorship candidate.
He said that all grassroots members of LP and the Obedient Movement in Bayelsa were behind Eradiri and will emerge victorious on Saturday.
“All grassroots members of LP hereby disown these so-called party leaders. They are on their own.
“We want to make it clear that no amount of sabotage and sellout will stop the massive grassroots support already garnered by our candidate.
“Our candidate, Udengs Eradiri, has ignited the spirit of Adaka Boro in the minds of our people and they are ready to free themselves from the political stranglehold of incompetent and selfish leaders mortgaging our future and the future of our children.
“The people are ready to speak and they will speak with their votes against these characters,” Toby added.
Also, the state Chairman of LP, Mr Gideon Zidougha, while reacting to the developments in a telephone interview, said even though party’s candidate has allegedly been sidelining the executives, he has no hand in the backing of Diri and Sylva.
“We have issues with the candidate of the LP who had been sidelining members of the executives, what they did by pitching their tent with a candidate of their choice lies within their powers but I did not authorise it as Chairman.
“The aggrieved members of the executive have complained of neglect and not being carried along by the candidate and I have been managing the crisis until it got to this level,” Zidougha said.
According to him, those supporting Sylva, the APC candidate, are members of the Lamidi Apapa faction of the LP at the national level.
“We are aware that a group that claimed to be Bayelsa executive of LP came and met with the APC candidate, but they did it for money, the Apapa faction is not recognised by INEC and lacks the legitimacy tó endorse anyone,” he claimed. (NAN)