Bayelsa Guber Election: You Are Not Candidate, Quit Race, PDP Tells Sylva

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governorship Campaign Council in Bayelsa State has advised what it called the “disqualified” candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the November 11 governorship election in the state, Timipre Sylva, to honourably step down from the race as the odds were stacked against him.

Sylvia is fighting his disqualification by the Federal High Court in Abuja through an appeal he has lodged in the Court of Appeal.

The court had ruled he was sworn in twice as governor of Bayelsa State which it says runs counter to the constitution and electoral act.

Although the APC has not been staging a serious campaign, Sylvia holds that the court will rule in his favour and has continued to carry out the sporadic campaign.

But the PDP said he’s not a candidate in the first place and advised that the odds are stacked against him.

Speaking during the continuation of the PDP campaign, the Director-General of the campaign council, Mitema Obordor, advised Sylva to quit the race as he does not enjoy any level of acceptance across the state, which is a pointer to his imminent failure even if he is on the ballot on November 11.

Obordor, who is also the House of Representatives member for the Ogbia Federal Constituency, said unlike the PDP ticket of Governor Douye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, whose qualifications cannot be faulted, the same cannot be said of Sylva.

The campaign DG alleged that Sylva was dishonest after publicly declaring that his ambition to become governor again was over, stating that someone who cannot be true to himself should not be trusted with power.

Obordor also stressed that the principle of zoning in the state does not at the moment favour Bayelsa East where Sylva hails from, but rather the Central senatorial district, which is Governor Diri’s area.

He further stated that Diri’s performance in office has caused members of the opposition in the state to dump their parties to work for the PDP’s victory.

A statement issued by Daniel Alabrah, the Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State and Member, the Publicity Directorate, Bayelsa PDP Governorship Campaign Council, quoted Obordor as saying, “Let me begin my remarks with a call on Timipre Sylva to toe the part of honour and step down from this election.

“There are reasons I say this. The first is that for you to govern a state, you must be seen to be an honest person. You cannot say a thing today and turn 180 degrees tomorrow to do a different thing.

“The same man spoke publicly that the chapter of contesting for governorship was over in his life. So that man is dishonest as far as I am concerned.

“The second reason is that all other factors having to do with determining elections are against him. Number one factor is zoning. As far as Bayelsa State is concerned, the zoning principle favours the Central Senatorial District where our governor comes from.

“The third reason is acceptability. You can see the level of acceptance by the people of the duo of Governor Diri and his running mate, Senator Ewhrudjakpo.

“The fourth is performance. This governor has performed beyond a reasonable doubt. Even his detractors have been put to shame that they have no option than to say governor we are with you.”

Earlier, Governor Douye Diri inaugurated a newly-built cottage hospital in Agbere community as well as a 3km concrete link road constructed in neighbouring Odoni community.

At Tungbo, Diri thanked the people for always supporting the party to victory and urged them not to relent on November 11.

At Trofani where the governor inaugurated a 17km of 33kv overhead transmission line and substation done by the state government, he said the community had been in darkness for about 12 years before the state government intervened.

He assured the people of more development, noting that his administration will continue to deliver people-oriented projects.

The campaign trail also made brief stops at Asamabiri, Osekwenike and Osifo communities and the governor promised that completing the Sampou-Asamabiri road, which was initiated by the Niger Delta Development Commission, would be his priority in collaboration with the commission when re-elected.

He commended the people for their peaceful disposition and urged them to keep the flag of the PDP flying as they had always done in every electioneering calendar.

Addressing the mammoth crowd at the colourful rally ground in Agbere, Diri dismissed the claim by the opposition that the community was only laying claim to him as their son because of his office.

He stated that his maternal grandmother is from Akirigba compound in Agbere.

Also speaking, Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo thanked the people of the constituency for turning the rally into a carnival, which showed the wide acceptance of the PDP in the local government.

Senator Ewhrudjakpo took a swipe at the APC for fielding a convict as Sylva’s running mate, which has placed their ticket on a tightrope, apart from the constitutional issue of tenure hanging on Sylva’s neck.

The deputy governor called on the opposition not to waste their energy and resources on stockpiling arms and trying to compromise the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, all in a bid to rig the election, noting that Bayelsans have already resolved to give the PDP bulk votes.