The governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, on Wednesday sacked the Sports Commissioner Ebikitin Doingoli.

It is believed that the reason for Doingoli’s sack was the fact that he lost his constituency to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the last general elections into the state assembly.

Chief press secretary to the governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson signed the statement announcing Doingoli’s sack which was announced on all major broadcast stations yesterday.

The statement however did not explicitly give the reason for the commissioner’s sack.

However, the governor who has been vocally upset about cases of “betrayal” during the last elections, was said to be upset with the ex-commissioner for not working hard to ensure that the PDP candidate in his Kolokuma-Opokuma constituency 2 defeats the APGA candidate, Ebiye Tarabina.

Tarabina is a cousin to the sacked commissioner and the governor had repeatedly sent the commissioner to ask him to drop his ambition.

Tarabina’s victory was more upsetting to the governor because he is believed to have been sponsored by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Affairs, Dr Waripamowei Dudafa, the man who the wife of Pres. Jonathan had pencilled to succeed Dickson in the 2016 Bayelsa governorship.

The governor has inaugurated a panel, headed by Deputy Governor John Jonah, to probe sime party leaders who he suspects to have worked against the PDP in the last elections.

The Nation newspaper is reporting that more members may be sacked from the party and the State Executive Council (Exco) at the conclusion of the probe.

READ: Gov. Dickson Says Those Who Betrayed PDP Will Be Disciplined; Promises Emotional Reception For GEJ

Meanwhile, Doingoli confirmed that he heard about his sack on radio. The commissioner said he had not committed any offence that could warrant his sack, adding that he had sent a message to Dickson for giving him an opportunity to serve the state.

He said Tarabina is his cousin but cleared himself on the loss of the PDP at the poll.

According to him, he tried in vain to persuade Tarabina to drop his political ambition.

Doingoli said: “I heard the announcement of my sack on the radio, like every other Bayelsan. I have sent a message to the governor, thanking him for giving me the opportunity to serve the state.

“I believe it has something to do with the House of Assembly election. The APGA candidate, who won in Kolokuma/Opokuma 2, Tarabina, is my cousin.

“The governor sent me to tell him not to contest and I went to him severally to persuade him not to contest. But he insisted that he would contest under the platform of APGA.”