NIGERIA (Bayelsa)- Governor Seriake Dickson has said that the newly unveiled secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has long been marked for demolition to allow for road construction.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, saying that Governor Dickson has directed the police and other security agencies in the state to ensure adequate security at the APC secretariat as a way of keeping with the policy of the administration to ensure security of lives and property of residents and visitors to the state.

“As a responsive Government, we will not abandon what is clearly our constitutional duty to provide security and ensure that people go about their legitimate duties without any form of molestation and same for the APC and any other party that is lawfully registered and recognized as a political party in Nigeria” Mr. Dickson stated.

He appealed to the leadership of the APC at the national level to ensure that steps are taken to urgently address leadership tussle among its members in the state.

“Clearly, the rivalry or rift in the party is between loyalists of former Governor Timipre Sylva and members of the ACN, who have been in the opposition all the while and a part of the new alliance that gave birth to the APC.

“Another thorny issue within the party is that, two of Sylva’s loyalists (Richard Kpodo and Godwin Sidi) have reportedly imposed themselves on the party as chairman and secretary as well as sited the state secretariat at Kpodo’s personal property located at the Etegwe area of Yenagoa without due consultation,” the governor said.

The governor added that a sum of N1 billion has been set aside as compensation for those whose buildings shall be affected, while saying the action was in the pure interest of ensuring infrastructural development in the state.