By Jonah Okah

In the past couple of weeks, Bayelsans and Nigerians in general have been watching with keen interest the politics of the re-election of the governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva. The political drama became more interesting shortly after the successful election of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, an election that governor Sylva put in all his best to ensure the victory of Mr. President.

It became more interesting, since the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) blew the whistle to conduct a fresh election for five states whose tenures where extended following the High Court and Court of Appeal judgment, and the plot to oust Sylva has thickened.


As a matter of fact, the media has been awash with reports and insinuations that. Mr. President is at the centre of the whole political drama.According to the reports, associates of Mr. President who are from Bayelsa, the home state of the president, have devised different means to persuade him not to support the bid of Sylva to get the ticket of the ruling People’s Democratic Party.

Apart from impressing on Mr. President, the same groups of associates have been trying to mislead PDP leadership, the general public and the media in particular by impeaching the performance index of Chief Timipre Sylva’s tenure as governor of Bayelsa state, and above all have flooded the party with petitions bothering on national security.


Curiously, the bulk of criticism is coming mainly from a handful of people within the PDP. Many independent analysts hold the view that those who are fighting Sylva are only doing so for their selfish interest, with an eye on who should control the treasury of the state, believing that it is either them or nobody else.

Even the opposition political parties under the CNPP platform who, naturally should be in a position to take on the PDP government in Bayelsa state, have not done what PDP is doing to discredit its own achievements in the state.


To compound matters, some of the associates of Mr. President have been doing everything possible to put a wedge between Mr. President and the governor, by erecting imaginary Chinese wall around them.

Governor Sylva has yet remained unperturbed and has spoken in several fora describing President Jonathan as “an elder brother, that he has no problem with him”.


The question is, is President Goodluck Jonathan really beating the drum for his friends to do what they are doing or will he just disregard God’s grace upon his life and render himself vulnerable to the antics of those who want PDP to fail in Bayelsa state?.

Afterall, about a year ago in the midst of the perceived problem between President Jonathan and Governor Sylva, a well informed analyst confided in some persons, that when the time comes either Mr. President will betray Mr. Governor or Mr. Governor will betray Mr. President.
Against this background, when the opportunity came for Mr. President and the governor to speak during the presidential campaign and the aborted governorship campaign in Bayelsa state in April, President Goodluck Jonathan spoke profusely and passionately that he will not betray nor cause any acrimony in a party that brought him to limelight and the apex of political office in the country.


Mr. President went further to pour encomiums on the achievements of the ruling party in Bayelsa state under the young and dynamic leadership of Chief Sylva. The wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan spoke in the same vein and she described Sylva as her son.
That singular statements coming from Mr. President and his wife did not only paid to put all the rumours of friction between the two illustrious sons of the state, but also rekindled the article of faith of the people in the two leaders in taking Bayelsa state to the next level. Or simply say, “Their detractors were put to shame”.

The governor on his part campaigned vigorously for President Jonathan with all his mind, strength and resources to the admiration of party faithfuls on one hand and the disappointment of their detractors on the other hand.


So, the question of who will betray whom is inconceivable and remains imaginary. And of course, if Mr. President decides to succumb to the arctics of those who do not want Sylva’s re-election, it will cast a dark spot on the history of his meteoric rise to the pinnacle of power, as a man that cannot be trusted and will diminish his statesmanship. This is where every political pundit is wearing a military binocular to watch out with keen interest.

It could be recalled, during the impeachment of the former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, many people believed that President Jonathan who was then the deputy governor betrayed his boss, contrary to the fact that he was to be loyal. They believe that Mr. President is adept in the politics of pretence. And General Babangida also questioned Jonathan’s loyalty to late President Yar’Adua during the PDP primary. But many Nigerians and Bayelsans in particular do not agree with that theory. They know Mr. President as a dependable person. The election in Bayelsa will soon prove the true self of Mr. President,


No doubt, by virtue of the constitution of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. President is the indisputable leader of the party. Many party faithfuls are looking forward to seeing him calling some of his associates to order by telling them to stop writing –off the achievements of the party in Bayelsa state.

In fact, in advanced democracies where party discipline is the hallmark of party politics, some of the statements credited to some aspirants writing-off the achievements of PDP in Bayelsa state is enough reason to disqualify them and even make them to face disciplinary measures.


If PDP wants to win, the National leadership of the party must guard against such statements coming from its own aspirants pulling down the party’s records of achievements. It will create an opportunity for opposition political parties to take advantage of it at their campaigns, leading to the failure of the party.

It was the same reason and acrimony among party members that robbed the party of its victory in several states which were quite avoidable.


Bayelsa state, a state created barely over 15 years ago is very historic and strategic to the development of Nigeria.
So, PDP cannot afford to lose Bayelsa in the next election, and it is imperative that this is the time for Mr. President should tell the world the achievements of PDP in Bayelsa state, and why the people should vote for the party in the state.
One need not remind the leadership of the party that the PDP government under Chief Timipre Sylva has recorded landmark achievements in the area of:

• Peace and Security
• Human Capacity Development and Empowerment
• Fiscal Discipline
• Educational Advancement
• Health
• Road Construction


On the issue of peace and security, let it be placed on the record that there is no governor in the Niger Delta that has made the sacrifice Sylva has made in enthroning peace and security in Bayelsa state and the Niger Delta in general.
It is a common knowledge that militancy and general insecurity was at it peak when the governor came on board, which drastically reduced the revenue profile of the federal government. In collaboration with other governors of the Niger Delta, the state of insecurity was brought under absolute control to the admiration of even the opposition, ardent critics and the international community. Vast majority of Niger Deltans believe that Sylva deserves a national honour and in fact the prestigious Nobel prize for peace. So the petition against him on the issue of national security is out of place and mere politics.

Afterall, no meaningful development can take place without peace and security, which the PDP led government has done in Bayelsa state. So the so-called petition against Sylva on the issue of national security is mere politics and out of place. In civilized societies, rather than beaming their searchlight on innocent Sylva, the security chiefs ought to resign by now over their failure to bring under control the activities of Boko Haram.


On human capacity development and empowerment, the governor has done well by:

• Award of scholarship to a great number of Bayelsa students to foreign universities for undergraduate and post graduate studies.
•Several youths were sent to India for training in Information Technology to enable the youths acquire basic skills to explore the emerging business world of communication technology, so that they would become self reliant and avoid the temptations of an idle mind.
• Matching grants were disbursed to several communities on self help projects.


• Disbursement of micro-credit loan for communities cutting across all the local government areas in the state.
• Forty Bayelsans were also sent on training on maritime programme in Norwegian Maritime Academy.
These are achievements that have direct bearing on the poor masses.

In the area of Health, the government of Chief Timipre Sylva built the state- of -the- art cottage hospital known as the Diete-koki Memorial hospital which was commissioned by Late President Yar’Adua and was described by the World Bank as a perfect place of healing.
•Okah, a Lawyer and Journalist, is based in
Yenagoa, Bayelsa State

Massive equipment of the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital that led to the accreditation of the Medical College of the state owned Niger Delta University, training and re-training of forty Medical Doctors at different levels of postgraduate studies within Nigeria and foreign Universities, Employment of over 100 Medical Doctors, 200 Nurses and several pharmacists, reconstruction and rehabilitation of twenty eight Model Health Centres across the state which are at advanced levels of completion.

In the area of education, it was under his tenure the Niger Delta University secured the accreditation of several courses. He also ensured that all the necessary structures and facilities were put in place for the Bayelsa state campus of the Nigerian Law School which has taken-off. He further embarked on massive rehabilitation of schools.

In the power sector, Bayelsans can pride themselves as the only state that enjoys a relatively steady power supply in the country, through the combined efforts of the state independent power project known as the Imiringi Gas Turbine and that of the Power Holding Company.
In the area of road construction, the PDP government under Sylva has an unprecedented record in the history of the state for constructing fifty internal roads, and several walk-ways across the riverine communities of the state. This is just to mention but a few.

Interestingly, the Acting National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Abubarkar Kawu Baraje last week dismissed reports of plans to disqualify Sylva. In fact, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP said, “we want to avoid a situation where our opponents go to court to get our candidates disqualified. Infact Governor Sylva has won election before, and we believe that he can still win elections”. Of course the PDP Chairman is right. Sylva has what it takes to win election in Bayelsa state.

He is a founding member of the party unlike some of the governorship aspirants who joined the party later from ANPP and other parties, or abandoned the party at one point in time or the other. Governor Sylva has remained a disciplined and loyal party member.

He has the political experience spanning over two decades. He was elected as the youngest Legislator in the old Rivers state House of Assembly at the age of 26 under the platform of the defunct NRC in 1991/1992. In 1999 he contested for the Bayelsa East Senatorial district against the legendary Chief Melford Okilo and lost with a margin of only three votes. Sylva was the special Adviser on Politcal Matters to the former Governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

At home, Sylva was recognized by his people before he became governor, by conferring Chieftaincy title on him. Intellectually, he is sound, he had second class upper in the university, and his colleagues in the University infact believed that he was denied of first class because it was only one point margin in the cumulative grading that denied him of first class honours degree.
Moreover, Sylva has the political structure to win election at any time in Bayelsa State. Vast majority of Bayelsans describe him as a “Home Boy”, and one of their own.

Therefore, he is not only constitutionally qualified to contest but is a huge asset that has the pedigree to win the state for the party.
The qualifications to contest for elective positions are clear in the constitution. Hinging clearance of a candidate by a political party on security reasons is not only old fashioned, barbaric and uncivilised but reminds us of the dark days of military politics, when candidates seeking elective positions were disqualified by the instrument of mere security report.

This is where the PDP should not miss the point. The party should not create unnecessary mystery around the process of screening of candidates.
It is quite unfortunate that only the guber election in Bayelsa state is taking this dimension, and enough is enough.

eh, pdp, maybe it reason y, they refused bayelsa protesters from entering abuja yesterday,,,,