APC Disqualifies Ex-INEC REC From Bayelsa Governorship Primary

The Governorship Primary Election Screening Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State has disqualified the former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Cross Rivers State, Dr Briyai Frankland.

Dr Frankland was disqualified by the committee on Tuesday over an allegation of not being a card-carrying member of the party for up to one calendar year.

The panel, however, cleared the immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and five others for the August 29 governorship primary.

The others are Mr Preys Aganaba, Mr Ebitimi Amgbare, Ms Diseye Poweigha, Mr Lyon David, and Professor Ongoebi Etebu.

The screening committee headed by the Chairman, Isa Song, stated that only Dr Briyai Oyeins Frankland was not cleared after a thorough exercise.

In its report, signed by all seven members, the committee explained that it conducted the screening exercise in line with the guidelines and code of conduct emphasised at ensuring that aspirants must have been card-carrying members of the party up to one calendar year while aspirants with multiple declarations of age must harmonise same to avoid untoward situation.

The committee stated that the modalities adopted for the screening were the balloting of numbers one to seven which was picked by each aspirant to determine the order for which they were called to appear before the members.

It stressed that each aspirant was asked questions relating to qualifications and conduct in line with both party constitution and election guidelines to contest for the primary election on the platform of the APC.

The aspirants, the report noted, were also asked to produce evidence of membership of the party, voter’s card and payment of the prescribed fees, as well as the original copy of their credentials for sighting.

“The screening committee is empowered to screen aspirants for the governorship election for Bayelsa. Therefore, Dr Briyai Frankland was not cleared and disqualified on the ground of Section 3 paragraph ‘L’ of the guideline for nomination of candidates,” the report read.

It added, “On the premises of the aforesaid report, we want to observe that the prevalent did most rated commitment of the leadership of our party to reinvigorate the culture of integrity and party discipline be encouraged.

“That the core value of our party, which is premised on leadership responsibility and discipline, will be vigorously enthroned in our leadership recruitment process. That the aspirants, whose names are above stated, appeared for screening and were attended accordingly.”