In anticipation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congresses set for February 18 to 21, significant discontent has emerged among party stakeholders regarding the apparent disregard for the consensus framework mandated by the state's governor, Douye Diri.
Governor Diri, who transitioned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in October last year, faces the challenge of rallying the party as its state leader.
The national APC leadership has designated today, February 18, for the commencement of its ward congresses, with activities across various local governments set for Friday, February 20, 2026.
Members of the APC loyal to former Governor Timipre Sylva assert that they are the party's original members who contributed to President Bola Tinubu's success in the 2023 elections and to other victories since 2015. They claim to be marginalized in the current arrangements.
They allege that party resources are being preferentially allocated to those who joined the APC alongside Governor Diri, warning that such practices could undermine the cohesiveness of the party.
It is noteworthy that Timipre Sylva, a foundational figure in the APC and a key opposition voice in Bayelsa before Governor Diri’s entry into the party, has been in conflict with the current administration over accusations of plotting a coup against President Tinubu’s government.
Additionally, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is reportedly investigating Sylva for alleged financial misconduct. Sylva, however, has refuted these allegations.
This situation has compelled Sylva, previously a dominant force in Bayelsa politics, into a more isolated position, leaving his supporters within the APC feeling abandoned.
In the Sagbama local government area, APC stakeholders and ward executives have expressed their rejection of the proposed structures leading to the ward congresses.
Similarly, in the Bomo clan of Southern Ijaw local government, a socio- political entity known as the 'Bomo Mandate Forum' has firmly opposed an alleged decision regarding the zoning of the APC chairmanship position in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area to Constituency Three, ahead of the upcoming party congresses.
In a statement to the press in Yenagoa, the Forum’s Chairman, Chief Elder Dominic Richard Bafagha, along with Secretary Chief James Jonah-Alu, labeled the purported resolution as a “kangaroo arrangement” contrived by a select few without the approval or awareness of key stakeholders.
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