APC disqualifies ex-Cross River REC, clears Lokpobiri, Lyon Aganaba, others

The Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Primary Election Screening
Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has disqualified
the immediate past Cross River State Resident Electoral
Commissioner (REC), Dr. Briyai Oyeins Frankland from participating
in the August 29th primaries of the state.

Briyai, who recently resigned his appointment as REC citing home
pressure, was reportedly disqualified for not being a card-carrying
member of APC for up to one calendar year.

Those cleared for the primaries are Preys Aganaba, Prince
Ebitimi Amgbare, Ms. Diseye Poweigha, Mr. Lyon David, Professor
Ongoebi Etebu and Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

In its report addressed to the national Chairman of APC, the
committee headed by Isa Song said only Briyai was not cleared after
a thorough exercise .

The committee in the report signed by all its seven members said
it conducted its exercise in line with guidelines and code of
conduct of the APC.

It said the guideline stipulated that aspirants must have been
card-carrying members of the party up to one calendar year, must
show their original credentials and in the case of multiple
declarations of age must harmonise same to avoid untoward
situation.

The report insisted that the modalities adopted for the
screening was 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 committee.

“Each aspirant was asked questions relating to qualifications
and conduct in line with both party constitution and election
guidelines to contest for the Governorship Primary election under
the platform of the APC”, the report said.

It added: “We also asked them to produce evidence of membership
of the party, voters card and payment of the prescribed fees as
well as the original copy of their credentials for sighting. The
screening committee was empowered to screen aspirants for the
governorship election for Bayelsa’

“Therefore, Dr. Briyai Frank land was not cleared and
disqualifies on the ground of Section 3 paragraph ‘L’ of the
guideline for nomination of candidates”.