Bayelsa politician standing trial for rape is not our member, says APC

The Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Thursday disowned a known politician and former Security Adviser in the state, Richard Perekeme Kodoh. Kpodoh was first arraigned before a Magistrate Court on a two-count of unlawfully detaining and raping one Miss
Teke Blessing on June 20, 2018 at his hotel in Etegwe, Yenagoa.

 He was remanded in prison custody but was later re-arraigned before the state High Court, where he reportedly collapsed following an undisclosed illness. But the APC in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, frowned on attempts to link Kpodoh to APC. Buokoribo said: “While we wholeheartedly welcome his trial in a court of law for his alleged crime, we condemn the conscious or unconscious attempt to link our party with Mr. Kpodo. “Headlines like ‘Bayelsa APC Chieftain Charged for Rape’; ‘Bayelsa APC Stalwart remanded in Prison for allged rape’; “APC Chieftain thrown into Prison for alleged rape in Bayelsa’, etc amount to a structured misrepresentation of facts.



 He is not one of us. Richard Kpodo has not been our party member”. Buokoribo said Kpodoh worked for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) claiming that he is a member of the PDP. He said Kpodoh with solid support from the PDP launched a serial campaign of calumny against the state leader of APC, Chief Timipre Sylva. He said recently Kpodoh called Sylva unprintable names and wondered when his relationship with the PDP came to an end. He said: “However, we know Kpodo for his monstrous cruelty and notoriety.

We are not surprised that at long last, he is having his day in court for the crime of rape. We challenge him to clear his name. “The charge of rape against Kpodo has nothing to do with the APC. We are a party of responsible people. We are determined to work for a greater Bayelsa State that will guarantee progress and prosperity for all in Bayelsans”.