This might not be the best of times for the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobori and former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva as the hairachy of the All Progressives Congress has threatened to sanction the sack and suspension of both Bayelsa politicians.
The threat was made by the APC’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Frank following an allegation by the Bayelsa State executives of the party, that the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobori bought his ministerial slot from the former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva,
Frank who had called on the party to suspend Sylva if found culpable of the allegation also said this action became necessary to proof to Nigerians the much integrity talking about in the present President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Chief Timi Frank said: “I am going to conduct my own investigation, l am going to brief Nigerians from time to time on this issue and l am also going to call on the security agencies to try and get involved in this. I have seen the response of the former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva but as far as I am concern, he has not responded to the allegation.”
“And l want to make it clear that if truly the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Lokpobori paid for his appointment, then l will be asking him to resign from his position because up till this minute I have not seen a reaction or response from him to confirm to us as Nigerians whether he paid for or earned his position because he is a friend of Timipre Sylva or because he was truly a party man but again the chairman made it very clear yesterday that he doesn’t have the registration or the membership card of our party.”
“So If he is not a member of our party, then Sylva again has a case to answer, we have people who have worked for this party, how come you never recommended any party leader that has worked from Bayelsa to become minister?”
While describing the allegation against for Bayelsa’s governor as embarrassment to the APC government, Frank revealed that “I’m waiting for the president to come back. I’m going to officially write the president that he must give an audience to the leadership of APC in Bayelsa to give them the opportunity to come and talk to him, to present their evidence against the former governor that truly political offices in Bayelsa today is being sold for money.”
Frank also challenged the Secretary General of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, not to compromise his position warning that his involvement might spell doom for the party.
“And again I want to sieze this opportunity to call on the SGF to tread carefully with anything that be, ones to Bayelsa because today, Bayelsans have tied the SGF to Timipre Sylva because they are friends, they are best of friends.
“So I’m passing this as a warning to the SGF because each time things like this come, we know the he’s the person that is in charge, he should not use friend to compromise his position as SGF. The whole Nigeria, the World knows that the SGF and Timipre Sylva are the best friends. We will resist any form as from today of any name that comes from Sylva, we will protest it, and we will take every step to make sure that will not stand.”
