The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobori Monday dismissed the allegation against him that he bribed his way to become minister.
The Minister, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Donald Ojogo, made the clarification in response to the allegation by Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC) executive that he bribed the former governor of Bayelsa State and the governorship candidate of APC in the last election, Chief Timipre Sylva to get the appointment.
He also narrated his politically relationship with President Muhammdu Buhari, against the allegation that he never believed on Buhari.
The state reads: “It in the last few days, the Bayelsa state chapter of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) has contended with some unsavoury moments. Undoubtedly, these are orchestrated by an insignificant few within the party and oiled by some external forces who feel threatened about their political future, especially as the APC challenges the outcome of the last governorship election at the Election Petition Tribunal.
”From the outset, the attitude of the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has been to ignore and avoid responding to all such untoward moves and circumstances around the APC. To him, such do not represent the much required cohesion, sincerity of purpose and political maturity. This becomes more pertinent for the minister when statements purportedly issued by fictitious groups ignobly emanate from the Bayelsa State Government House in apparent show of solidarity with disgruntled elements within the APC.
“Nonetheless, in the view of the deliberate fabrication of lies and misrepresentation of facts on the part of those who have allowed themselves to be used in this blackmail venture, it has become very compelling to state the following: the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri never got his appointment on the platter of financial negotiations as expressly insinuated by the suspended state chairman of the APC in Bayelsa State, Chief Tiwei Oruminigha and his cohorts”.
