Real facts have emerged as to why the Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) moved against the party’s governorship candidate in the last election, Chief Timipre Sylva, and four others persons.
Sylva, Bayelsa Central Vice Chairman, Mr. Joseph Fafi; Publicity Secretary, Mr. Panebi Fortune; Organising Secretary, Mr. Tonye Okio and Mr. Edison Sogwa, were suspended by APC over alleged anti-party activities.
A source in APC secretariat in Yenagoa, said the party had to suspend Sylva because his continuous membership of the party has assumed a negative public relations and at the same time, scaring Bayelsans away from the party.
‘‘APC lost Bayelsa State because it fielded Timipre Sylva, a discredited politician, as its candidate. We cannot tolerate him any longer if APC must survive and make impact in subsequent elections because Sylva is scaring Bayelsans away from our great party”, the source stated.
The APC also believes that Sylva allegedly misled the party into using violence to win election which backfired and incurred the wrath of Bayelsans.
The source said: “Instead of sitting with APC to map out the way forward, Sylva betrayed the APC by unilaterally holding meetings with the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and getting favour from PDP governors. This is a gross anti-party activity and naked betrayal.”
The party also accused Sylva of underhand dealings in a neighbouring state because of his disagreement with the APC leader in the state, which according to sources, affected the fortunes of the party in the re-run elections.
This, the Bayelsa State chapter of the party believes was allegedly done in exchange of money to prosecute his ongoing petition at the tribunal.
Another reason why Sylva was placed on indefinite suspension was because he allegedly sold the Bayelsa State ministerial slot to Senator Heineken Lokpobiri whom they claimed was not a member of the APC at the time he was announced a minister.
Another source said, “Selling a slot which was freely given to him by President Muhammadu Buhari is antithetical to the anti-corruption drive of the Federal Government. Similarly, Sylva is reputed to have nominated five non-APC members into the yet to be announced federal boards and parastatals without consulting with the party hierarchy. This has angered the party men and the state leadership of APC who felt abandoned by Sylva after working for the party.
‘‘In APC, monkey dey work baboon dey chop. We were used to work for the party and Sylva; when it came to submitting names for board/parastatal appointments, we were abandoned. Sylva sat on his own to nominate his girlfriend and people who never worked for the party for enjoyment. We shall not allow this wuruwuru to stand.”
