A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Mr. Festus Daumebi, has called on former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, to declare his aspiration to contest the November 16 governorship election.
Daumebi, a senatorial candidate for Bayelsa Central in the February 23 election, spoke Yenagoa yesterday. According to him, the people were yearning for Sylva to rescue them from poverty and underdevelopment.
He said: “Chief Timipre Sylva is the only man with the requisite political structure to win elections for the party and salvage the state from the shackles of misgovernance.
Chief Timipere Sylva
“Sylva was forcefully removed from office in 2012; he was a victim of political circumstances. But I am sure those who orchestrated his removal to bring the current government are even more disappointed than Sylva himself.
“So, the only way to re-write our past wrongs is to support him to complete his remaining four years. Under his leadership, we experienced near 24-hour power supply in Bayelsa. Residents were able to close their eyes and sleep.”
Daumebi noted that there was no crisis in the Bayelsa APC, and called on members to support Sylva’s emergence as the APC flag bearer for the November 16 election. He also acknowledged the constitutional rights of other members to contest the election, but appealed to them to shelve their ambitions and work for Sylva’s victory in the interest of party unity and cohesion.
He warned that any attempt to ignore Sylva in the election would spell doom for the APC.
“In APC, even if any other person in Bayelsa is going to win an election, that candidate, inclusive of myself, needs the support of Chief Sylva. You can’t win an election in Bayelsa without the support of Sylva.
“Anyone coming to govern Bayelsa should not centre his attention on his party alone because you are not coming to govern a party. Bayelsans in the last seven and half years have experienced misrule. Our economy as a state is completely crumbled. Nothing is happening in the state. The truth is that our leader, Timipre Sylva, is the only man that can win an election. Our national party should be mindful how they go about this election. Any other person with this party’s ticket without Sylva or his support is an exercise in futility,” he added.
Barr. Festus Daumebi
