With the disqualification of the embattled Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa from the forth coming gubernatorial poll, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has once again told those who care to listen that it could sanction anyone and damn the consequences. But what options are left with the governor? Reports BAYO OLADEJI.
No doubt, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is at war again, as usual, not against any of the strong opposition parties in the country or against any of the leading opposition voices on national issues, but against one of its own, Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa state whom it wants to stop at all costs from succeeding himself in the forth-coming governorship poll scheduled for February, 2012.
Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State is in deep political mess after the party leadership ruled him out from the contest to fly the party’s ticket in the forthcoming re-scheduled gubernatorial elections no thank to the directive given by the National Working Committee, NWC of the party which warned of the dire consequences should the governor or any of the other two aspirants also disqualified, sabotage the party in the coming election.
In his first reaction to the development, the embattled Governor Sylva expressed reservations that his rights as a member of the PDP were being abridged by the NWC even as he pledged to abide within the folds of the PDP. This might mean he would no longer decamp to realize his political ambition as being advocated by his teaming supporters.
He was not the only victim of the order, other bigwigs sanctioned are the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Timi Alaibe and Mr. Ben Murray Bruce, the Managing Director of the Silverbird Group. While the former has refused to make any comment the latter reportedly said he was not a quitter but noted that he had been forced out of the race even as he affirmed that his interest in the contest has turned out not to be in vain as his involvement had sufficiently raised “political, economic and social issues which any governor cannot ignore.” According to him, “Because of this race we are now engaged in a debate about our future. So in a sense, my candidacy has not been in vain,”
But of the trio, the attention is on Sylva how he would handle it and why he was disqualified from the race he would have been the only candidate to beat being the incumbent. His disqualification from the contest was conveyed in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Rufai Alkali. The development came on the eve of the commencement of the process for electing the party’s gubernatorial candidate which is starting with the ward congresses today.
The statement issued by the NWC read:
“The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has concluded the review of the reports of the Screening Committee and Screening Appeal panel for the gubernatorial primaries in Bayelsa State scheduled to hold on the 18th of November 2011.”
“After a thorough review of the two reports, and after a painstaking examination of all the issues raised about each and every aspirant, the NWC has cleared seven out of the 11 aspirants that purchased forms to contest for the primaries. Those who were cleared and shall contest the gubernatorial primaries are the following: Orufa Justine Boloubo, Dickson Seriake Henry, Enai Christopher Fullpower, Kalango Michael Youppele, Francis Amaebi, Ekiyegha Francis Korobido and Austin Febo.
“However, in this last and final batch, four of the aspirants did not scale through the Party screening process and have therefore not been cleared to contest the primaries.
Those not cleared are: Alaibe Ndutimi, Ben Murray Bruce, Timipre Marun Sylva and Igali Godknows Boladet.
“All Members of the Party, especially stakeholders in Bayelsa State should note that this is the final decision on the status of all aspirants for the forthcoming Primaries. All efforts should now be geared towards mobilizing party members for the forthcoming primaries and elections in the state.
“In view of the foregoing, all those aspirants whose names appear in para two above will be dully issued with final Clearance Certificates to enable them stand for the forthcoming primary elections. For the avoidance of doubt, and in line with the provisions of our guidelines for primary elections, no aspirant can or should use a provisional certificate as a basis for unilaterally declaring himself or herself as a candidate of Peoples’ Democratic Party for the Gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa State. Even where he or she does so, it is of no value, effect or utility for the primary elections and is therefore redundant.
“The NWC wishes to reiterate its commitment towards enforcing discipline within the ranks of the Party at all levels. We shall therefore not hesitate to invoke disciplinary measures on any member who disregards lawful party directives or who engages in acts capable of undermining the party’s cohesion or initiates and takes any step that could lead to the breaching of public peace.”
Following the development, Governor Sylva in a sharp riposte pledged to remain in the party even as he expressed concern on what he claimed were reports of plans to arrest him for alleged trumped-up treasonable charges centered on allegations that he, Sylva planned to kill President Goodluck Jonathan.
The statement issued by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Doifie Ola read:
“The attention of H.E. Chief Timipre Sylva, Governor of Bayelsa State, has been drawn to a statement by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disallowing him from participating in the Bayelsa State PDP gubernatorial primaries scheduled for Saturday, November 19, 2011. Governor Sylva considers it disturbing that his full membership of the PDP is being abridged. In particular, his fundamental right to vote and be voted for has been trampled upon by his own party, a party he has contributed so much in building. Consequently, Governor Sylva and his supporters are reviewing the NWC decision.
“Governor Sylva notes that the NWC decision does not annul his membership of the PDP. As Governor of Bayelsa State under the platform of the PDP, Sylva remains the leader of the party in the state. As a loyal party person, he will participate in all party activities. Similarly, Governor Sylva wishes to bring to the attention of the public, reports alleging that there are attempts to arrest him on trumped-up treasonable felony charges. The story is that there is a tape in which he threatened to kill President Goodluck Jonathan. This is completely false. At no time did Sylva threaten to kill President Jonathan. He has no reason whatsoever to wish the president or any other person dead. Governor Sylva enjoins the people of Bayelsa State, especially his numerous supporters to remain calm, law-abiding and hopeful. The people of Bayelsa State shall prevail
Although Sylva might remain in the party but signals coming from his camp is that of a rebel with or without a cause. To some, he might sponsor an opposition to fight back against whoever eemerges the PDP candidate and thenruns to court after the election following the footstep of his Rivers State counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi when he was denied of the party’s ticket and gave it to Omehia. Omehia won the poll but the Apex Court sacked him for Amaechi.
Sylva last Saturday called the bluff of the PDP and formally declared for a second term on the platform of the party before a mammoth crowd that included federal legislators Bayelsa elders, party chieftains and ex-militant leaders. At the rally in Yenagoa, Sylva displayed the governorship clearance certificate presented to him by the party’s screening panel in Port Harcourt on October 27 as valid, saying it qualified him to contest the November 19 primary election.
Sylva drew attention to his administration’s efforts at stabilizing electricity and promised that the regular power supply would become uninterrupted before December. “It is only the people of Bayelsa State that would decide who would rule Bayelsa. This is why I brought my case to you. The President is supporting me. All the National Assembly members except the one that is only supporting himself are supporting me. All the members of the House of Assembly, local government chairmen, councilors, elders, women and youths are supporting me. I want to assure that everything is alright,” he said.
“My dear Bayelsans, some years ago, you gave me your mandate to govern this state and I promised to do everything to take the state to the next level. I have done everything to keep faith with that promise. That tenure is about coming to an end. Today, we come before you to ask for a re-validation of that mandate and I want to state unequivocally that I seek your mandate so we can together, consolidate on the modest gains we have made in the last four-and-a-half years. My first four years in the state have laid a solid foundation in health care, education, infrastructure, and in the power sector. We have already become the leader in power generation in Nigeria. We have brought peace and a new lease of life to Bayelsa people. That is why I have the courage to stand before you to make my declaration today,” he told his supporters.
He might have done that as a threat to the leadership of his party against disqualifying him from the governorship race. But with the new development, Sylva’s card had failed him and what remains to be seeing is if he would not follow the footstep of the immediate governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel who sponsored a candidate against the PDP candidate using another platform, his candidate lost woefully and today Daniel is facing trial for allegedly looting the treasury he sworn to protect.?
No sooner he concluded the rally than the man who might succeed him and the only member iof the National Assembly from the state who not only opposed the governor but vying the same post, Senator Seriake Dickson kicked against him condemning the action of the governor in strong terms.?
In a statement issued on behalf of the campaign by the Director of publicity, Ebiegberi Fungeowei, the Dickson campaign expressed wonder how an aspirant yet to be cleared by the constituted machinery of the PDP could go ahead to declare his intention to run for the primaries billed for November 19, 2011.
The statement enjoined Bayelsans particularly party faithful to stand firm and insist on due process in the selection of the party’s gubernatorial candidate.
According to the statement “the party’s primary election is strictly for properly cleared aspirants of the party and advised Governor Sylva to learn to abide by simple party rules and not drag the party’s reputation into the mud through his illegal acts.”
The Dickson campaign said the rally was in line with the illegal acts perpetrated by Sylva and his co-travelers in the past four and half years that has brought Bayelsa to the near comatose position.
There are some questions begging for answers and the more complicated it becomes. Hear some of them, ‘what is the offence of Sylva that he must not be allowed to contest?’, Whom did he step on his toe? Is a failure as a governor? Is a security risk? Can’t the sanction wait till after the second term in office?
Although there are many offences allegedly committed by this troubled governor but the well known “sin” of them all is believed to be the allegation that he threatened to kill President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife and children if he was not given the PDP ticket, a Lagos based Newspaper reported that he was also taped threatening to disrupt oil production in the Niger Delta by importing Boko Haram militants from the north-east.
According to report several people had reportedly told the president that Sylva was making threats but he was said to have ignored them because there was no proof.
However, a former commissioner who served under Sylva was said to have secretly taped the conversation he had with the governor and sent it to the president. At this stage, the president invited Sylva to the Presidential Villa and confronted him with the allegation in the presence of the service chiefs and the heads of security agencies.
Although Sylva was said to have initially denied the allegation, one of the security chiefs was said to have played back the tape.
Other threats allegedly made by Sylva were also played back, and he was in one instance heard threatening to cripple the country’s oil production by importing Boko Haram if he was denied the ticket.
Confronted with the evidence, that Sylva went on his knees and apologised, begging the president to forgive him for his utterances and threats. However, one of the security chiefs told him that the statements were “treasonable” and he should be prosecuted but the issue of immunity from prosecution for a sitting governor was immediately raised.
After the encounter, an aggrieved PDP member from Bayelsa State petitioned the national secretariat of the party, informing it of all the allegations against Sylva. The party leadership, subsequently advised Sylva not to seek re-election on the party’s platform because the security agencies were not likely to clear him.
But the Bayelsa governor was said to have insisted on running and has enlisted the support of other governors to lobby the president to prevail on the party to allow him to participate in the primary election.
Checks conducted revealed that Sylvia’s many ‘sins’ include? his opposition to the ambition of Jonathan in his bid to become the Acting President and related to this was his refusal to soft pedal on his estranged deputy as sought by the President until he ensured the man was impeached by the state’s House of Assembly.
“It is doubtful if Sylvia would be endorsed by the PDP to contest the primary come 19 November because of his attitude to President Goodluck Jonathan right from when the late President was ill. He and some governors stood on his way to become the Acting President until the National Assembly came in with the doctrine of Necessity. Then we also gathered that he used the State’s House of Assembly to remove his former deputy, a political ally of Mr. President, despite all the appeals from the President. If he said the NWC of the party has no power to stop him today, I advise him to flash back and recall the involvement of the same committee before he contested the last primary,” a top party leader disclosed.
Investigations also show that the PDP leadership would not want Sylvia contest the primary since they know that he has the structure that could deliver the ticket into his hands without any much ado. This is what the governor camp has been advocating.
LEADERSHIP also has it on a good authority that but for the other PDP governors in the South-South, Sylvia would have made a threat of his decampment from the party. If Sylvia eventually lost out, he might likely be given same treatment being meted on the former governors of Oyo, Ogun and Nasarawa states who are now on trial for alleged sharp practices while they were in office.
A group, Initiative for Restoration of Accountability (IRA), is in the fore-front of the campaign to ensure Governor Sylvia is prosecuted for allegedly looting the treasury of the state under his watch and for allegedly operating foreign accounts while holding public office. The ex-governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is facing similar allegation in Abuja.
“It has become obvious that most of the I’ll gotten properties of Governor Silva were not included in the asset declaration form. We appeal to the anti graft agencies to get to the root of these matters to help Bayelsa state recover her stolen wealth at least to complete all the on-going projects in the state,” the IRA led by Miebi Macdonald and Timitimi Telema reportedly stated.
According to the group, Silva has a string of foreign accounts, personal estates, hotels in and outside Nigeria, equity shares, supermarkets scattered around Bayelsa and beyond and properties in London, etc, running into billions of Naira.
Pointblanknews.com reported that Silva had a string of foreign accounts, personal estates, hotels in and outside Nigeria, equity shares, supermarkets scattered around Bayelsa and beyond and properties in London, etc, running into billions of Naira.
The report further alleged that in London Silva is alleged to have? an account with Barclays Bank with account number, 004186943 with sort code 206242. As at March 2010, the balance was ?14, 702, 812, 64 Million. He operates an? Abbey National Bank Instant Saver account, number H6828466BHW. As at March 2010, the balance was ?6, 751, 873, 84. Million. His account balance as at last year National Bank was ?3, 687,864,35 Million.
Silva allegedly owns two properties in London. One at 11 Studridge Street, on Sea London, SW1, with title number MX674738, the other at 5 Wichendon Road, Peckam Ryle, London, SE15, with title number MGS398290.
He owns the Moment Newspaper, Marilin Maritme Limited, Royal Fm Station 95.5, with a front named George Allen Fente, has 70 percent equity shares in Azekiel Dredging and Construction, with a comer commissioner, Dr Geruani, as front, a multi billion naira supermarket in the high brow Guateng district in south Africa, and an estate in the Bloemfontein are in South Africa.
Has a multi billion naira estate of 1000 bungalows in Akwa Ibom state, owns the Development Research Derivatives Limited, Alpha Star Paints located near Bayelsa Plastic Industry, Lantana Nigeria Limited, in Port Harcourt, and an oil firm in Abuja run by one of the stooges, Mr Von Dimeari Kemedi.
Political pundit are divided over what the governor should do; whether to accept defeat as Mbadinuju of Anambra state who was denied the second term ticket, today he is not on trial, or to follow the foot step of Gbenga Daniel and damn the consequence or to embrace Amaechi’s approach. Whichever way it is Sylva might be fighting some forces he might not be able to overpower. Put it in another way, this is a war Sylva would not win.
Advising the embattled Sylva after the PDP verdict, a political analyst,? Agbonsuremi Austin Okhiria says, “ conditions for Timipreye Sylva: 1. Do not decamp from PDP. 2. Go on exile from Bayelsa on completion of this term. 3. No noise making. 4. Name a price.? Who says the Nigerian president is not powerful.”
One thing you could not take away from the PDP, whenever it resolved to sanction any of its own irrespective of the consequence, there is no going back. It did it in Ogun, the party lost the state to the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), it did it in Oyo the ACNN grapped the state. But with the President coming from Bayelsa state, the state is going nowhere but PDP.