On December 5, Bayelsans go to the polls to elect a new governor in what is now looking like it will be a straight fight between incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and former governor Sylva. Yesterday, Chief Sylva got his party's endorsement but the controversy surrounding his election took a shine off his victory.
He was announced the winner by a member of the Adams Oshiomhole committee Hon Nelson Alapa with a total of 726 votes with Warman Ogoriba coming a distant second with 10 votes. Chief Romeo had 10 votes; Francis Ebite, six; Christopher Enai, five; Charity Vedelago, four; Chief Timi Alaibe, four; Dikivie Ikiogha, one; Ebitimi Amgbare, one; Imoro Kubor, one and Augustine Febor, one, with eight void votes.
Accepting his nomination, Chief Sylva assured the people that he would not let them down.
He insisted that the APC has indeed won the election. Mr Ogoriba, who came second, conceded defeat on behalf of other aspirants, adding that the election was free and fair.
However, prior to the vote, eight of the candidates had withdrawn from the race saying they could not participate after Chief Sylva took over the venue with his thugs. Edo State governor Adams Oshiomole, who was supposed to be supervising the election had to be smuggled out of the venue before voting actually began.
Governor Oshiomole had been trapped in the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa, the venue of the election when youths loyal to Chief Sylva stormed the premises around 3.30pm.
They stormed the venue after Chief Sylva complained to one of the national officers that the election was designed to scheme him out. He had said the primary was skewed in favour of a particular aspirant by the national leadership of the party.
Chief Sylva, who looked distraught, complained seriously that he would not accept the treatment being meted out to him by the national leadership. No sooner had he finished expressing his displeasure than scores of his loyalists took over the area, chanting war songs, attacking Governor Oshiomhole and the national leadership of the party.
At that point, aspirants, delegates, journalists and other persons scampered for safety and Governor Oshiomhole, who was held hostage till about 5pm, could only escape from the venue with the help of operatives of the Department of State Security and soldiers. He eventually got away by telling the members of the state executive committee of the party that he was hungry and needed to go and eat.
On Thursday September 24, the PDP will hold its own primaries and already, the party super delegates have endorsed Governor Dickson as their sole candidate. According to Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the chief press secretary to the governor, the endorsement was made at a meeting of the super delegates held at the Yenagoa residence of the chairman of the Restoration Campaign Advisory Council and former governor Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Mr Iworiso-Markson said: “The super delegates numbering over 250, include past and present leaders of the party, political office holders, some members of the state executive council and members of the state house of assembly, PDP state working committee and the leadership of the local government councils, based their support on Dickson’s impressive performance in office. The super delegates, each has 20 delegates under them going into the party’s governorship primaries, which is a clear proof of the overwhelming support and endorsement the governor has."
Former governor Alamieyeseigha called on Bayelsans to see the forthcoming governorship election as a battle to protect the integrity of the Ijaw nation and therefore urged PDP faithful not to leave any stone unturned as they embark on the issue-based campaign activities of the party. In his response, Governor Dickson expressed appreciation to the leadership and delegates of the party for the honour done him and pledged submissiveness to the interest and ideals of the PDP at all times.
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