SWC members carpet APC chair over Sylva’s running mate

No fewer than 15 members of the Bayelsa State Working Comm

ittee of the All Progressives Congress have carpeted the State Chairman, Tiwei Orunimighe, over his struggle to become a running mate to the party’s flagbearer, Timipre Sylva.

Supporters of Orunimighe have been at daggers drawn with Sylva since he picked another running mate, Wilberforce Igiri, from Forupa community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state instead of Orunimighe.

The state of affair, which has created a major crack in the APC in the state, has pitted Orunimighe against his benefactor, Sylva, culminating in a messy protest that has left a scar in their relationship.

Supporters of the state chairman bemoaned Sylva’s choice, insisting that Orunimighe contributed immensely to Sylva’s emergence and that if the party’s candidate failed to revert to an existing arrangement, the party faced imminence defeat at the governorship poll in December 5.

But the SWC members made up of the State Secretary, Marlin Daniel, Youth Leader, Edison Sorgwe, Financial Secetary, Seiyefa Oruabere, Organising Secetary, Tonye Okio, Publicity Secetary, Fortune Panebi, Assistant Secetary, Alabo Martins and the Woman Leader, Cynthia Boro, flayed the disposition of Orunimighe’s supporters.

They insisted that the action of Orunimighe’s supporters was misguided, misplaced, confrontational, null and void.

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The SWC in a position paper presented by Sorgwe stated that the claims that the State Chairman, Tiwei Orunimighe had been adopted was wrong and mischievious.

Sorgwe said, “The purported communique in circulation ‎is fictitious as the signatures of members were those taken during the numerous meetings of the working committee. The decision by the flag bearer to choose a running mate is personal and an independent one.

“The incident, in which some unknown persons threatened to destroy the APC secetariat is unfortunate. The loyalists of the party and its leadership are at home with the choice of its flagbearer, Timipre Sylva.”

On the decision of Sylva to choose a technocrat and retired Principal, Wilberforce Igiri as running mate, Sorgwe said though the decision to choose a running mate was personal and independent to the flag bearer, the SWC was comfortable with the choice.

He said the exco members considered the choice of a running mate by Sylva as strategic and we’ll informed for the victory of the party during the December 5 election.