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For The Governorship Of BAYELSA State
The demise of the man they call Governor General of Ijaw Nation High Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, has created Political leadership vacuum in Bayelsa State as the former Minister of State Petroleum Resources High Chief Timipre Sylva now calls the shot and gets to political offices that he wants in All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State.
A cursory look into the political career of High Chief Timipre Sylva indicates that he has been a very brilliant person who in 1986 graduated from University of Port Harcourt coming top with First Class in English Language studies ( Linguistics). He was born on 7th of July 1964 in Brass town of Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The brilliant Timipre Sylva started his early education at Lagos
In 1992, he was elected into Old Rivers State House of Assembly where he represented Brass State Constituency as he was the youngest lawmaker of that political era. He was appointed as Special Assistant to the then Minister of State Petroleum Resources in 2004 under Dr. Edmund Dakauru, where he performed creditably.
Given his urge to serve his good people of Bayelsa State he resigned his appointment to join the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Bayelsa state and contested for the PDP Governorship primary election where he came second after Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Immediately the presidential candidate of the PDP Umaru Musa Yar’adua in 2007 picked Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as his running mate, High Chief Sylva was drafted in as the Governorship candidate of PDP for the Bayelsa State Governorship election which he won and was sworn in on 29th of May 2007 as the executive Governor of Bayelsa State.
But there were challenges to his election in 2007 when his opponent in the then Action Congress Party Ebitimi Amgbare, dragged him to the Bayelsa State Governorship election Petition Tribunal which eventually confirmed his election. Unfortunately, he lost it at the Court of Appeal Port Harcourt Judicial Division whose ruling overturned the lower court judgment. Again, on April 15th, 2008 the 5- man Justices who sat over the Appeal matter, were all in agreement that the election remains annulled and ordered that the Speaker Bayelsa State House of Assembly Rt. Honourable Werinipre Seibarugo, should be Acting Governor of Bayelsa state for a period of 90- days.
TIMIPRE Silva, being a man of destiny recontested election on 24th of May, 2008 where he won with land-slide victory having pulled 588,204 out of a total cast votes of 598,000.
On 27th of May,2008 he was sworn in as executive Governor of Bayelsa state. His joy was shortlived as on 27th of January 2012 he was sacked again by the Supreme Court of Nigeria with Acting Governor appointed to take over from him.
On February 2012 another Governorship election was conducted in Bayelsa State that saw former Federal House of Representatives member Rt. Honourable Seriake Henry Dickson emerging as the elected Governor of Bayelsa State.
HOW TIMIPRE SYLVA BOUNCED BACK TO POLITICAL RELEVANCE IN BAYELSA STATE
If you think that providence has no place for a man then wait until you get to know how High Chief Timpre Sylva played his Political cards very well. In the formation of opposition political parties merger in 2013, Timipre Sylva joined All Progressives Congress APC with his eyes focused on completing his truncated Governorship Mandate given to him by the good people of Bayelsa state. Thus he campaigned vigorously for the All Progressives Congress candidates across the board from the Presidential Candidate Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of APC in Bayelsa State. When President Muhammadu Buhari was declared winner of the 2015 Presidential Election. On 21st of August, 2019 High Chief Timipre Sylva was appointed as Minister of State and with this appointment he emerged as leader of APC in Bayelsa state in 2019 till date. He was reappointed as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and his political power and influence has kept on soaring as there’s no political appointment for any Bayelsa State citizen without the nod of High Chief Timipre Sylva. The appointment of Dr. Samuel Igbuku as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Niger Delta Development Commission -NDDC irrespective of the number of reshufflements in the development interventionist Agency, his choice of Dr. Samuel Igbuku remained consistent with the announcement from the Office of the Secretary of Government of the Federation-SGF. Dr. Samuel Igbuku, has been rumoured to be a close confidant to High Chief Timipre Sylva. Another earth shaking political appointment in Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is that of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. It is a common knowledge that two Bayelsa State citizens who are close to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu are High Chief Timipre Sylva and Senator Heineken Lokpobiri. Whereas in the 11th of November 2023 Governorship election in Bayelsa State High Chief Timipre Sylva is the Governorship candidate of APC. Those opposed to his emergence as Governorship candidate in the 11th November 2023 are saying that should he win the election it then becomes third term of his being elected as Governor of Bayelsa State. But he had defeated those unintelligent people with Court rulings which legally terminated his Government as not being legally valid except his last attempt. It was on the strength of this argument that he state as APC Governorship candidate in the 11th November 2023 Bayelsa state Governorship election.
HIS PREDICTION OF A COMEBACK TO CREEK HAVEN BAYELSA STATE GOVERNMENT HOUSE
As the 27th January 2012 Supreme Court judgement hit High Chief Timipre Sylva, his resolution to keep fighting and succeed as a legitimate Governor of Bayelsa State remained his major goal. He waits patiently for the right time to make a comeback to Creek Haven, the political seat of power in Bayelsa State. Immediately the judicial pronouncement was made his then Chief Press Secretary Dofie Ola, issued a press statement in which he wrote “ As a democrat, Chief Timipre Sylva accepts today’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He however considers the decision of the apex Court as dark for democracy and justice in Nigeria. Sylva believes today’s ruling is only the judgment of man and certainly not justice of God.
“He says after this everyone involved in the Bayelsa state Governorship matter shall still face the Judgment of history and judgment of God.
“ Sylva thanks his teeming followers in Bayelsa State and lovers of democracy across Nigeria and beyond especially in Bayelsa state who held out despite intimidations, threats and pressure to abandon the path of democracy and justice.
“He extends his special gratitude to the members of the Bayelsa State Caucus of the National Assembly who stood firm on democracy as well as members of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum,Senior citizens from across the country and all his supporters.
“ Sylva remains confident that he still has a long and bright political career ahead of him.”
To the Brass Local Government Area Bayelsa State born politician, High Chief Timipre Sylva, come 11th of November 2023 he shall prove to the political class in Bayelsa State that patience has it’s reward. High Chief Sylva, is married to Cross River State born Alanyingi Sylva. The union is blessed with 3 children. High Chief Timipre Sylva is a man whose vision for a better Bayelsa State has kept dragging him out to serve the good people of Bayelsa state as their duly elected Governor.
–Emeka Amaefula
234(0)8111813069
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