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Slyva Not Electable - PDP

Bayelsa Gov Poll: Slyva Not Electable - PDP

GEJ blessed Dickson for re-election as the governor of the state.

Sylva again won the fresh governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state after the APC had decided to fix Wednesday for a fresh governorship primary in the state after the one held last week was nullified.

Recall that one of the aspirants, Timi Alaibe, the former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) managing director, withdrew from the race earlier today. According to Alaibe, he pulled out of the race “to avoid a situation of crisis that the PDP might inadvertently reap from cannot be over emphasised.”

The State Secretary of PDP, Keku Godspower, who made this assertion in a statement in Yenagoa, said it was a shame and insult to the collective sensibilities of Bayelsans that of all their members, Sylva was the best they could put forward as candidate.
Keku, who frowned at the choice of Sylva, said what the party’s decision meant was that the APC was not prepared for any serious outing at the election because as he noted “everybody in Bayelsa knows that Sylva is not electable”.
He, however, hinted that since Sylva’s emergence, there are palpable fear, tension and apprehensions among Bayelsans  which he attributed to the spate of violent incidents during the recent APC governorship primaries in the state.
Keku also alleged that Sylva has a record of violence and that his second coming will not be different.
READ ALSO: I’ll Win In Bayelsa Primary Re-run — Sylva Boasts
According to him, since the primaries, the state had witnessed the influx of cultists and militants which he also claimed had created palpable fears and tension among the people.
He added that this development, if not checked, could lead to relapse of violence in the state and the entire Niger Delta region.
Keku, however, was confident that possible violence would be contained, assuring the people that security agencies in the state will deal with anyone caught breaching the peace or molesting anyone.
The PDP advised Bayelsans to go about their lawful businesses without fear of intimidation, urging them to report any suspicious character to the security agencies.
While asking the people to vote for the PDP during the December election, Keku also called on the Federal Government to direct its security agencies to take urgent steps to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.
“With the December 5 governorship election around the corner, we duly call on the people to outrightly reject Sylva’s candidacy and his APC-led politics of violence and intimidation which has become a well- known trademark”, he stated

Bayelsa APC chairman, ex-militant leader, assault Sylva

Deputy Gov slot: Bayelsa APC chairman, ex-militant leader, assault Sylva in Abuja

Timipre-Sylva

The crisis rocking Bayelsa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over who should be running mate to Timipre Sylva shifted to Abuja on Tuesday, with the state chairman of the party, Chief Tiwe Oruminigbe and an ex-militant leader, General Africa, allegedly physically assaulting Sylva in his Abuja home.
Sources said that a meeting held in the Abuja palatial home of Sylva was characterised by hot verbal exchanges and in the process, “Sylva was said to have received a hot slap on his cheeks for what said to be a result of his “deception and betrayal”.
Since the APC primary where the former governor emerged as candidate, there have been a relentless battle over who becomes his deputy as the jostle for the slot kept shifting from one supposedly anointed person to the other.
Sources privy to the development said that Sylva had all along promised no fewer than six persons who would be picked as his running mate but none of them has so far been named.

The Bayelsa APC state chairman, Tiwe Orumingbe, was one of those initially favoured as Sylva was said to have repeatedly told him and members of his inner caucus he will be his running mate.
The source, who craved anonymity, however, said Sylva only cajoled all those he promised the deputy slot but never meant his words as he only used the promises as bait to elicit their support to get the governorship ticket at the primary election.
Oruminigbe as party chairman reportedly mobilized all delegates to vote for Sylva at the primary which he won.
It was gathered that the Abuja clash was fallout of the struggle on the part of Oruminigbe to challenge Sylva over his refusal to name him as running mate despite his repeated promises and “unalloyed support” for him at the governorship primary election.
To demonstrate his seriousness, Oruminigbe was said to have gone to Sylva’s Abuja home with ex-militant leader, General Africa, to confront Sylva on the issue but the open confrontation soon resulted into heated argument and in the process, General Africa was said to have slapped Sylva and a full blown fight erupted.
An eye witness account informed that the ensuing fight caused destruction of some household items.
Following the attack, a reliable source has hinted that Sylva as the leader of the APC in Bayelsa State was already plotting to remove Tiwe Oruminigbe as state chairman.
To achieve this, it was gathered that at the instigation of Sylva, some key members of the state executive were making moves to suspend him (Tiwe) as chairman.
The move was also said to be causing fresh ripples within the exco as members were said to be divided on the implication ahead of a crucial election in the state.
In a related development, following the fight in Abuja, party members and recruited political thugs and street urchins popularly known as “Area Boys” loyal to Tiwe Oruminigbe have reportedly taken to the streets in Yenagoa, the state capital, pulling down Sylva’s posters and billboards to vent their anger and disappointment that the party chairman was not named deputy as earlier promised.
A top sources in APC also informed that as a clever way of pacifying the embittered individuals who were promised as running mate but disappointed, Sylva has begun another round of promises to the effect that they will be made minister and other federal appointments.
“It’s all a huge joke. Sylva is deceiving them all over again and this is unfortunate, His repeated empty promise is what is tearing the party apart right now. Certainly things can’t be the same again in APC in Bayelsa State”, the source said.
In its reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, condemned Sylva’s action, noting that ‘deceit, lies and subterfuge’ were political tricks of the APC candidate over the years.
In a statement by the PDP state secretary, Keku Godspower, the party accused Sylva to have deceived PDP members into joining APC with promises of the governorship ticket and collected huge sums of money from them without fulfilling his promise.
“It is an unfortunate situation indeed but we know Sylva to be such a notorious liar. His politics revolves around lies, deceit and subterfuge and he can never change. It’s that bad for APC in Bayelsa State.
“It is the same way he deceived our members to join APC with promises to make them governor by collecting so much money from them only to use their money to finance his own ambition. That’s Sylva for you in his usual deception as the latest deputy saga demonstrates”, Keku stated.
Keku has also called on PDP defectors to return to the party in the face of current realities in the APC, assuring them that they will be welcomed with open arms.
He stated: “We earnestly want our members who decamped to APC to return without further delay because it is now too clear that they were misled. The PDP umbrella is big enough to accommodate everybody.
“Now, if a man like Sylva will be so cruel and deceptive to his fellow party men, what it shows convincingly is that he cannot be trusted to be governor of the state. He will run a government of deception as he did as governor for five years in the past. That will be sad for our collective future”.

Ex-Governor Sylva wins

Ex-Governor Sylva wins Bayelsa APC governorship primary

Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva

A former Bayelsa Governor, Timipre Sylva, has won the All Progressives Party Congress primary election to emerge governorship candidate for the December 5 poll.
The former governor scored 981 votes to win the ticket, beating Godknows Powel, who polled 39 votes to emerge runner up while Wallman Agoriba scored 28 votes to place third.
Announcing the result at the APC secretariat in Yenagoa by Mansur Alli , Chairman, Electoral Committee, Bayelsa APC primary election, said a total of 1147 delegates were accredited.
According to Mr. Alli, a retired brigadier general, “Out of 1147 accredited delegates for the primary election, Mr Timipre Sylva scored 981 to win other 18 aspirants who participated.
“On the result, five aspirants scored zero, there were 1120 valid votes and 27 voided votes in the election,” he said.
Speaking after the result was announced, Mr. Sylva commended the electoral committee on the smooth conduct of the primary election.
Mr. Sylva said he was ready to bring the much desired change to the people of Bayelsa.
He urged all the delegates and other aspirants to support his candidature to move the state forward.

PC crisis portends danger

Governorship poll: APC crisis portends danger for Bayelsa – Gov. Dickson

The new Special Advisers are Deacon James Dugo, Chief Bernard Agai, Chief Patrick Osunu, Hon. Agatha Goma, Hon. Ayobegha James, Alex Dumbo, Chief Kienyosuote Degi and Henry Orumieyefa

 

The Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday said the ongoing crisis in the state chapter of All Progressives Congress portends grave danger to the democratic fortunes already established in the state.

Governor Dickson stated this during the inauguration of eight new Special Advisers and the General Manager of the Bayelsa State Transport Company, Hon. Emomotimi Fanama, in Yenagoa.

The new Special Advisers are Deacon James Dugo, Chief Bernard Agai, Chief Patrick Osunu, Hon. Agatha Goma, Hon. Ayobegha James, Alex Dumbo, Chief Kienyosuote Degi and Henry Orumieyefa.

According to Dickson, the inability of the APC to properly coordinate its activities has confirmed his earlier position that those opposing the Peoples Democratic Party do not have the interest of the people at heart.

Dickson, who restated his call on those who defected from the PDP to return, maintained that the PDP would serve their interests better rather than remain in a party to be treated as strangers.

While congratulating the new appointees, he described them as high caliber people, who have been tried and tested in various political capacities.

Dickson urged them to strengthen their contacts with the people, especially as the gubernatorial election approaches.

He re-assured Bayelsans of the restoration government’s commitment to work for the greater peace, stability and sustainable development of the state.

Governor Dickson begs defectors

Bayelsa 2015: Come back to the PDP – Governor Dickson begs defectors

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, has appealed to all former leaders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to return to the party.
The governor urged the defectors, many of whom left the ruling party after the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan at the last April presidential elections, to return and join him in his re-election for the development of the state.
A Government statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the appeal became necessary against the backdrop of what Dickson felt was the “humiliation and betrayal” meted to the defectors by the APC leadership in the state.
The governor claimed that recent development aftermath the APC governorship primaries in the state, rendered the former PDP members as onlookers in their quest for political participation and relevance.
He posited that the opposition party did not represent any viable alternative to peace, unity and development of the state.
Dickson reminded the defectors that the APC leadership in the state boast of a repressive and retrogressive past, which will not serve any better purpose in the present political dispensation.
He also stated that the forthcoming election in the state was not about him, but for the greater good of Bayelsa State, urging the defectors to put their grievances behind them and join hands with him in the interest of the state.
“We may have had our differences, but in the light of current realities, it is only desirable that all our former members return to the PDP and join hands with me for greater development of Bayelsa State.
“Certainly we cannot afford a return to the dark days of our past and allow the state slid into anarchy, killings, maiming, kidnappings, cultism and state-sponsored terrorism directed at political opponents.
“The harrowing experiences of many Bayelsans, who fled into exile in neighbouring states under the APC candidate when he held sway as governor for five years remain vivid.
“Such experiences should not be allowed to be repeated, and this is why we have to reason together and make amends”, Dickson said.
The governor charged Bayelsans not to be afraid or be intimidated, but rather, come out en-mass and exercise their civic duty on election day with assurances of adequate security arrangement across the state.
He assured the people that nobody would rig the election, adding that the votes of every Bayelsan will count and results will be declared in every polling unit.
“Let me assure you all Bayelsans that the fear of rigging in this election, reasonable as it sounds, will not be possible. Nobody can rig this election, because the whole world will be in Bayelsa to monitor the process.
“When you vote on election day, wait and be a monitor yourself. There will be adequate security and law enforcement agencies will be fully on ground.
“All key federal institutions, such as INEC and other agencies would also be on ground to ensure there are no hitches or give room for manipulation in favour of a particular candidate,” Dickson assured.