Bayelsa APC Ward Congress: Sagbama And Southern Ijaw Stakeholders Oppose Zoning Plan

Ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congresses scheduled for February 18 to 21, party stakeholders in Bayelsa State have raised concerns over what they described as the abandonment of a consensus arrangement earlier endorsed by Governor Douye Diri. Since his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in October, Diri has been tasked with uniting the party in the state.

The national leadership of the APC announced that ward congresses will commence on Wednesday, February 18, with local government-level exercises set for Friday, February 20, 2026.

Supporters loyal to former Governor Timipre Sylva have alleged marginalization in the lead-up to the congresses. Identifying themselves as long-standing APC members who contributed to the party’s successes, including President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 election victory, the group claimed that preferential treatment is being given to individuals who defected alongside Governor Diri. They warned that such perceived inequalities could undermine party unity in Bayelsa.

Sylva, regarded as the founding face of opposition politics in the state prior to Diri’s defection, has had ongoing political tensions with the current government and previously accused some elements of sponsoring a coup against the APC-led Federal Government. He is also under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial irregularities, claims he has consistently denied. Party sources say these developments have weakened Sylva’s influence, leaving many of his supporters politically vulnerable ahead of the congresses.

In Sagbama Local Government Area, APC stakeholders and ward executives reportedly rejected the arrangements set for the ward congresses. Similarly, in the Bomo clan of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, a socio-political group known as the Bomo Mandate Forum opposed an alleged zoning arrangement for the office of APC chairman, which they claimed unfairly allocated the position to Constituency Three.

In a statement issued in Yenagoa, the Chairman of the forum, Chief Elder Dominic Richard Bafagha, and Secretary, Chief James Jonah-Alu, described the decision as a “kangaroo arrangement,” asserting that it was orchestrated by a small group without the knowledge or consent of key stakeholders in the area.