The National Headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at the weekend, said its Bayelsa State Chairman, Chief Tiwe Oruminighe had been expelled from the party.
The party also confirmed the suspension of two other members of the State Working Committee (SWC), the Deputy Chairman of the party, Mr. Eddy Julius and the Secretary, Mr. Marlin Daniel.
The party has dispatched separate letters of Oruminighe’s expulsion and the suspension of only two members of the executive committee loyal to him.
There was, however, confusion as two separate letters containing conflicting punishments for the deposed chairman emanated from the headquarters.
While the first letter said Oruminighe had been suspended, the second document said his punishment was outright expulsion.
In the second letter dated August 4 and titled, “Expulsion from the Party”, APC said the decision against Oruminighe was reached at the 23rd regular meeting of its National Working Committee (NWC).
The letter signed by the National Secretary of the party, Mr. Mai Buni, said the NWC took the action following the recommendations of the APC South-South Zonal Executive Committee.
The letter said the committee deliberated on the report of the party’s Disciplinary Committee on Oruminighe’s anti-party activities in the state.
“On behalf of the National Executive Committee of our party, All Progressives Congress, the National Working Committee at its 23rd regular meeting of Thursday, 3rd August 2017 adopted the recommendations of APC South-South Zonal Executive Committee.
“The committee deliberated on the report of the Disciplinary Committee that investigated your anti-party activities in Bayelsa State to the effect that you be suspended and ultimately from the party”.
The letter, however, said the decision of the NWC was subject to the ratification of the party’s NEC.
“As a consequence, you are to hand over all party property in your possession to the Zonal Vice-Chairman, Bayelsa Central Senatorial District with immediate effect while the National Vice-Chairman, South-South shall coordinate the state chapter of the party”, the letter said.
Similar separate letters, titled, Suspension from the Party, were also addressed to Julius and Daniel.
Three of them fell out with the state leader of the party and former Governor of Bayelsa, Chief Timipre Sylva, shortly after the 2015 governorship election in the state.
The feud led to the the division of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the APC into two factions with other members of the committee declaring their loyalty to Sylva.
The police and the Department of State Security (DSS) deployed a detachment to take over the secretariat of the party in the state at the weekend following tension created by the suspension.
It was, however, gathered that the party in the state had selected Joseph Fafi, serving as a Vice-Chairman, Central Senatorial District, on the State Executive Committee (SEC) to fill the vacuum created by Oruminighe’s suspension.
Already, most party members were in high spirits and were said to be jubilating over the choice of Fafi as the acting chairman of the party in the state.
It was learnt that prior to the suspension of Oruminighe and the two executive committee loyal to him, other members of SEC held several meetings declaring confidence in Fafi.