[size=14pt]Govs Fail To Save Sylva [/size]
Written by Taiwo Adisa and Leon Usigbe, Abuja Saturday, 05 November 2011

EFFORTS by four South-South governors to convince President Goodluck Jonathan to back embattled Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State in his search for Peoples Democratic Party  nod to contest the forthcoming gubernatorial primaries of the party have apparently hit a brick wall, as they failed on Friday to obtain the president’s assurances.

The governor is yet to be cleared by the party which is reluctant to allow him to participate in the primaries where four other aspirants had already been cleared.

Though PDP claimed that the screening process was an ongoing exercise, there were indications that it considered Sylva’s case a closed one and did not intend to revisit it.

Governors Rotimi Ameachi, Liyel Imoke, Godswill Akpabio of Rivers, Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom respectively were in the Presidential Villa along with Sylva to intercede on his behalf, but signs emerged early that Jonathan was not enthusiastic about their mission when he did not show up for the meeting for hours.

When the president eventually met them at the First Lady’s Wing of the Presidential Villa, the governors had no cheering news, as they were unable to persuade the president on the need to support Sylva.

On  emerging from the meeting, the governors, who fought hard to conceal their disappointment at the outcome, declined to talk to State House correspondents, who were persistent in their request for comments.

An obviously disturbed Sylva, at a point, queried reporters for insisting on getting the governors’ reaction, saying: “Why are you following me with microphones now? I don’t want to talk!”

All the governors subsequently drove out of the Villa in an SUV chauffeured by Amaechi himself to an unknown destination.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the refusal of PDP to confirm Sylva as an aspirant   was predicated on an “advice” from what sources described as the highest security quarters in the land.

It was reliably gathered that the governor had earlier appeared before a panel of security chiefs, where the issues were crosschecked with him.

The sources claimed that while President Jonathan had prevailed on his loyalists prior to the primaries, held in January to back out of the contest and allow Sylva pick a second term ticket, the governor’s camp has never really trusted the president.

It was gathered that the statement contained in a petition currently being investigated by the party and the security agencies was said to have been made by the governor under the atmosphere of distrust for Jonathan.

But the sources said the president has told his aides not to be directly involved in the Bayelsa fray so that he would not be accused of meddling in the state politics.

However, while Jonathan was staying on the sidelines, it was gathered that his loyalists had taken offence against the alleged persistent accusations against the president, leading to the adoption of Hon. Henry Dickson by the Green Movement, the group that produced Jonathan as PDP gubernatorial standard bearer in 2006.

The source said that those, who accused the governor of making statements regarded as threats to security, were not hiding their faces and that as far as they stood by the allegations, there was a narrow prospect of the governor securing PDP clearance.

“The president has shown he is the father of all in this matter, but we have seen that the governor has never really trusted him. His camp has been behind the series of accusations against Mr. President in recent times.

“A meeting of the governors and series of interventions by some party leaders have failed to locate the genesis of the issues,” said a source, adding that many of the interventions had been painted as if the president was the cause of Sylva’s problems.

Another source said that while the president was insisting on due process, the whole issue was being made as if he had an axe to grind with the governor.

As a result of such outlook, it was gathered that loyalists of the president were insisting that the governor, having allegedly run foul of the law, should not be cleared for the primaries.

The sources said that the posture in the governor’s camp was reminding the president’s loyalists of some activities of the governor, especially when Jonathan was vice president.

A source said that Jonathan deserved commendations for allowing Sylva contest the January primaries in the first place and prevailing on his loyalists to drop their ambitions.

According to the source, Sylva disregarded the then vice president by the way he removed the former executive committee of the PDP in the state, despite the agreement with Jonathan to the contrary.

He was also said to have joined the camp of anti-Jonathan in the days preceding the president’s confirmation as acting president in February 2010.

But a source said that there was hope that Sylva could still be allowed to partake in the primaries if he secured “a last minute clearance.”

“There are feelers that he would contest the primaries. He could be granted a last-minute clearance, following his explanations before the security team,” a source stated.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/front-page-articles/5775-govs-fail-to-save-sylva.html

The governor has already been cleared. We are all educated but no one reads anymore. Please READ THE PDP GUIDLINES AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY. What is happening in the PDP now is how to stop Sylva from going to court and causing a big bruhaha. The National party is trapped by their own rules.

what we need in Bayelsa now is change and a better change. we dont need a party influence but the peoples influence. The people in Bayelsa will decide for a better change this time arround not minding the party the Governor will emerge from through their votes. I think what happened in Imo state this year would likely happen in Bayelsa state come February 2012. we are tired with backwardness in development in Bayelsa state. God is aware and He has given us the go ahead.