The Door Opens Again for Sylva
By Godfrey Azubike
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The People's Democratic Party, PDP, in Bayelsa settles its crisis and resolves to back Timipre Sylva, for governor
The dust over who should fly the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the governorship election to be re-run in Bayelsa State appears to been settled. The PDP leadership last week resolved to field Timipre Sylva, the former governor of the state who was removed from office by the order of the Court of Appeal, April 15. Before last week's decision, Sylva's candidacy for the re-run election had received serious opposition from PDP leaders.
However, last Monday, stakeholders of the party met and resolve the issue. Vice President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have waded in to ensure that Sylva was given another chance, and this was agreed upon. Jonathan said he was instrumental to Sylva's election as governor and would still give him a chance to continue to serve Bayelsa people in Creek Haven, the seat of government.
But the agreement at that meeting seems not to be binding on all the party members in the state. But some PDP members at the National Assembly from the state are still opposed to the candidature of Sylva. A source said the National Assembly members have vowed that he would not go back as governor of the state.
Some of them were said to be preparing to file court action against him with a view to stopping his candidature. The source said they are also getting ready to publish the summons in the national dailies, since they are not sure of where to find the former governor to promptly serve him the papers. Among the allegations levelled against him was that some two billion Naira was found in his daughters account. Incidentally, the little girl is a minor said to be in primary school.
They are also fighting him because of alleged squandering of the state funds within the period he was in office as governor. Before he was removed from office by the Appeal Court, Sylva was battling to explain why he took a N60 billion loan from some commercial banks in Yenagoa. Those opposed to him appear not to be satisfied with the explanation that the loan was built into the 2008 budget of the state.
Bunas Womba, a traditional title holder in Epie Kingdom, in Yenagoa Local Government, noted that the administration of Sylva performed below expectation within the period it was in office. "When you compare the pace of work going on and the money coming into the state you will agree that the man did not do well," he said.
But the former governor's supporter are speaking in his favour.
Werinipre Seibarugu acting governor of the state was quick to declare that former Governor Sylva is still the candidate of the PDP in the proposed re-run election in the state. He made the declaration when Vincent Ogbulafor, the national chairman of the PDP, and members of the national working committee, NWC of the party called on him in Yenagoa. He called on Bayelsans to ignore the rumours making the round that Sylva was not on ground, maintaining that the Sylva-Ebebi ticket was still intact.
Ogbulafor said the party was not too happy with recent developments in the state, but that the NWC was in Yenagoa to express solidarity with the people of the state.
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