TheCable

The south-south zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has overruled the suspension of Timipre Sylva by the Bayelsa state chapter of the party for alleged anti-party activity.

At the weekend, the national working committee of the party in the state announced the suspension of Sylva, a former governor, for allegedly “hobnobbing” with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But in a statement on Monday, Eta Hilliard, APC vice national chairman south-south, said that the suspension of Sylva was null and void.

“The spate of suspensions, counter-suspensions and general disorganisation of the Bayelsa chapter of our party the All Progressives Congress is disheartening. That the chapter could be on the warpath at a time that it should be cohesively charting ways of successfully prosecuting the election petition tribunal case concerning the recently held gubernatorial election in which Seriake Dickson supposedly won is even more saddening,” he said.

“As the chairman of the party in the zone, I am particularly miffed by the state of affairs in Bayelsa APC and I publicly exhort the aggrieved parties to sheath their swords.

“Going by the provisions of Article 21 of the amended constitution of our party, the suspensions are null and void and done in bad faith.  In the said article, our constitution lucidly outlines the steps to be diligently followed for a party member or executive to be suspended.

“In the light of the above, the suspensions going on in Bayelsa as far as the party is concerned are entirely null and void. In the interest of the entire party and those immediately concerned, the state chapter of the party should revert to the status quo ante.

“The zonal organ has directed a committee to examine the remote and immediate causes of the rift and when the committee submits its finding, we shall take appropriate measures to reconcile the different interests. In the spirit of change, let there be peace.”