Crisis Rocks Bayelsa CNPP

Crisis is rocking the foundation of the once vibrant Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Bayelsa State following attempts by its chairman, Sunday Frank-Oputu, to perpetuate himself in office by elongating his tenure.

The conference which had been providing a platform for oppositions in the state went into limbo soon after the pioneer chairman, Comrade Miriki Ebikibina left to become the leader of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

A faction of the CNPP led by its Secretary, Brisibe Kpodoh and the Organising Secretary, Owei Tongu is insisting that Frank-Oputu’s tenure expired last August, but the chairman has maintained that his tenure would elapse in February, 2011.

Kpodoh and Owei Tongu’s faction last Saturday convened a meeting in Yenagoa where it sacked Frank-Oputu and constituted a five-man electoral committee headed by the state chairman of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Bonus Wombu, to conduct a fresh election for the body.

It was learnt that when Frank-Oputu got wind of the planned meeting, he sent threatening text messages to dissuade members from attending, warning that anybody who attended the meeting would not benefit from any largesse to the CNPP from its numerous sponsors.

One of the text messages, to journalists read: “Please, ignore the meeting called by Brisibe Kpodoh and Owei Tongu. They do not have the right to call for any meeting of CNPP without my approval as the Chairman. Please, note: anybody that attend such meeting shall not be part of any benefit due CNPP members. Strongly advised? Enough of this (sic) ingrates. Thanks. I’m watching.”

Kpodoh who confirmed the development said Frank-Oputu’s tenure ended last August and that he had refused every entreaty to inaugurate an electoral committee for members to seek fresh mandate.

Kpodoh, who is also the state Chairman of African Democratic Congress, explained that he and the Organising Secretary convened the meeting in order for CNNP to move forward, stressing that Frank-Oputu was peddling blatant lies by claiming that his tenure would expire in February next year.

“I’m a member of that executive. And I know that our tenure expired on 8 August. Frank-Oputu does not want to vacate the chairmanship because he has been using it to fraternise with Governor Timipre Sylva”, he said.

Kpodoh, noted that the situation had rendered the conference ineffective in its duty to keep the administration on its toes over the years.

He said Frank-Oputu had refused to convene a meeting because he wanted to continually use CNPP to line his pockets with government patronage.

But Frank-Oputu dismissed the claims of Kpodoh, maintaining that he remained the chairman of CNPP until 21 February, 2011.

According to him, officials of the national secretariat of CNPP who inaugurated him as chairman issued a certificate indicating that his tenure would expire next year, adding that he had announced the suspension of the Secretary and the Organising Secretary.

“Already, I have suspended Brisibe Kpodoh and Owei Tongu for calling a meeting without my approval”, he added.