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  • Bayelsa: Judgment on Sylva, a little distraction – Ganduje

    Bayelsa: Judgment on Sylva, a little distraction – Ganduje

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje has said the Court judgment against its Bayelsa Governorship candidate, Mr Timipreye Sylva is a mere distraction and the party will overcome it.

    He disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents on Tuesday in Abuja and stating that his party will appeal the Court judgment against Sylva.

    ‘’Well, it’s unfortunate that judgment, but we can say that it is democracy in action.

    “But, we learned that the person who took the issue to the court is not even qualified, because he did not contest with Sylva.

    ‘’Therefore, he’s not even qualified for him to take the issue to the court. However, we are appealing. We’re waiting for the judgment and then we appeal for calm on that issue,’’ Ganduje said.

    Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified former Bayelsa Governor, Mr Timipre Sylva, from contesting the election coming up in November.

    The Judge, Justice Donaltus Okorowo, ruled on Monday that Sylva would violate the 1999 constitution by running after having taken the Oath of Office twice and ruled for five years as governor of Bayelsa.

    Sylva was governor of Bayelsa between 2007 and 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Ganduje, however, said that the judgment would not deter the party from its arrangement for the election coming up next month.

    He said, ‘’Last two weeks, I was in Bayelsa for two good days and I think they were ready and they’re still ready to win the election.

    ‘’Therefore, this is a little distraction anyway, but we will overcome it.

    “We believe the appeal court will give us positive judgment but that will not stop us from making arrangements for the forthcoming election.”

  • Bayelsa 2023: Heavy ‘wahala’ for Sylva as Lokpobiri, Lyon dump him, adopt Diri

    Bayelsa 2023: Heavy ‘wahala’ for Sylva as Lokpobiri, Lyon dump him, adopt Diri

    The All Progressives Congress Party (APC) seems to be in disarray in Bayelsa State as the party is divided ahead of the November 11th, 2023 governorship election in the state.

    As at the last count, about 10 political parties are battling for the number one position in the state.

    But political analysts are of the view that the fight for the soul of Bayelsa state is between Governor Douye Diri, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Minister of State for Petroleum and former Governor of the state, Chief Timpreye Sylva.

    Governor Diri is said to be taking advantage of the in house fighting in APC to warm his ways to the hearts of the people one more time and working round the clock to bring members of the divided APC in the state to join forces with him in order to secure his second term in office.

    The aggrieved members of the APC in the state may jump ship soon and endorse Governor Diri and dump Chief Sylva.

    A probe into this development revealed that Governor Diri has contacted big wigs in the APC, especially those the former Minister of state for Petroleum and ex- governor of the oil rich state, Chief Sylva may have stepped on their toes, including the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and 2019 governorship candidate, David Lyon, into his camp.

    A reliable source revealed that Lokpobiri and Lyon are secretly working for the reelection of Governor Diri.

    The duo has axe to grind with Chief Sylvia and have stayed away from the campaigns and political activities of the former governor in the build-up to the next month governorship election in the State.

    The probe further revealed that all efforts to resolve the lingering crisis in the divided Bayelsa APC by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, and other top leaders of the party proved abortive.

    Our source disclosed that Governor Diri is taking advantage of the situation to further divide the opposition ranks by giving a lot of concessions ahead of the poll.

    The source claimed that the governor has promised to hand over to Lokpobiri as governor, with Lyon as deputy governor, if both of them duo can fully dump Sylva and join forces with him to win the November 11th governorship election in the state.

    According to our source; Governor Diri has not only conceded 50 slots of Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) each to Lokpobiri and Lyon, he has also promised them some measures of influence on decision making”.

    “This unholy alliance between the governor and APC top chieftains implies that the two may have to defect to the PDP after Lokpobiri has served his term as minister in the Tinubu administration ahead of the battle to succeed Diri in 2026”, our source added.

    But our source alleged that Governor Diri is threatened by the cold attitude of his predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson, who has stayed away from his administration and likely not to give him the needed support.

    It is being speculated that the former governor and his camp nurse a feeling of alienation and marginalization and efforts by the PDP national leadership to broker truce has not seen the light of day.

    Senator Dickson was said to be not comfortable that Governor Diri was going about his reelection especially with the opposition elements without carrying him along.

    According to our source, apart from Lokpobiri, Lyon and other members of the APC family, Governor Diri has equally reached to other big wigs in his party, PDP.

    The governor, our source disclosed, has also promised Senator Benson Agadaga (Bayelsa East) the succession opportunity.

    Senator Agadaga is from Ogbia, the base of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “Diri is promising succession across party lines by making overtures to APC and PDP. He also promised the Director General of his campaign council, Hon. Mitema Obodor, who is a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ogbia Constituency of succession. So, also is Robert Enogha, a former commissioner and two-time member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, who also hails from Ogbia”, the source said.

    “The three of them, Governor Diri has made succession promises to – Obodor; Agadaga and Enogha, are all of Goodluck Jonathan’s stock in Ogbia. This succession promise for Ogbia guys was a deceitful plot to secure Dr. Jonathan blessing and support in the forthcoming November poll.

    “Surprisingly, former President Goodluck Jonathan has also fallen for the bait. He is supporting the reelection of Governor Diri because of dummy the governor has sold to him that one of his kinsmen from Ogbia is going to succeed him after his second term in office.”

  • ₦30bn for 10-km road: Gov. Diri, LP’s Eradiri trade tackles over alleged ‘lavish spending’

    ₦30bn for 10-km road: Gov. Diri, LP’s Eradiri trade tackles over alleged ‘lavish spending’

    The ₦30 billion spent on a 10.2-kilometre dual carriageway, recently inuagurated in Yenagoa, has pitched the Labour Party (LP) guber candidate, Udengs Eradiri against Gov. Douye Diri.

    The LP flagbearer in the Nov. 11 governorship poll, Mr Eradiri, had criticised Diri for using ₦30 billion only for the completion of the road that had been substantially finished by the previous administrations in Bayelsa.

    Eradiri’s query was how can the current administration in the state spend ad ₦30 billion to complete a road inherited at advanced state of completion?

    “This is outrageous and shows a lack of prudency with public funds by the Diri-led administration.

    But the Chief Press Secretary to Diri, Mr Daniel Alabrah, responded, saying that Eradiri lied because he was seeking to score cheap political points.

    Eradiri appealed to the state governor to address the facts around prudence, accountability and transparency he  raised in the road project.

    Eradiri’s questions in Yenagoa was in response to Diri’s statement criticising him for telling the public that the governor spent ₦30 billion to construct the 10.2-km phase two Glory Drive Road in Yenagoa, amounting to ₦3 billion per kilometre.

    Eradiri alleged that Diri dissipated his energy calling him a liar without justifying “the bogus figure”.

    Eradiri said: “The people of Bayelsa expected Gov. Diri to provide a contrary cost for the project, something lower than the N30 billion he allegedly spent.

    “Diri should come clean on the cost of all his projects,” he said, alleging that cost of these projects are usually shrouded in secrecy.

    “I challenge him to publish the costs of some of his projects, because it is the people’s money and the people deserve to know.

    “Transparency and accountability in governance are the foundation of trust in leadership.

    Diri, at the inauguration of the road project recently, put the cost of the 10.2- km road at N30 billion.

  • Bayelsa Guber: We are working together for Sylva’s landslide victory – APC

    Bayelsa Guber: We are working together for Sylva’s landslide victory – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa has told Gov. Douye Diri to prepare his handover note.

    The APC said the party was working together to ensure a landslide victory of its governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva on Nov. 11.

    The party in a statement by Mr Tamaratare Zuokumor, its Assistant Publicity Secretary, said all APC stakeholders were more united ahead of the election than they were in 2019 when the party trounced Diri at the poll.

    Zuokumor said the Sylva/Maciver ticket remained the project of all Bayelsa people seeking the liberation of the state across party lines.

    Zuokumor said Diri was wasting his time trying to patronize the APC in his recent complimentary remarks.

    “The party is aware Gov. Diri is merely trying to make it seem our leader and governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, is the collective enemy of both the APC and PDP. This is lying at psychopathic levels.

    “Sylva is the governorship candidate of APC and not APGA, so a sane person cannot say he is fighting Sylva and not APC. When Sylva triumphs at the polls, as he will, it is the APC that ascends to power, not any other party.

    “We wish to state categorically that our party is more united and stronger than it has ever been, stronger and more united even than in 2019 when we trounced Gov. Diri at the polls.

    “Our impressive support base, our party leadership and our able stakeholders are fully committed to the Timipre Sylva/Joshua Maciver ticket, and all hands are on deck to liberate Bayelsa state, including thousands of PDP members with good conscience who have chosen state over politics.”

    Zuokumor said the party forbade Diri from making further patronizing statements about the APC, adding “one cannot dislike you and love your child; it is a futile, manipulative attempt at a Trojan horse”.

    He added: “Diri should reserve his false patronage and rather tell Bayelsans why he deserves a second tenure after a horrendous four years.

    “The APC will win this election in a landslide, including Gov. Diri’s own LGA, Kolokuma-Opokuma, where he has been loudly rejected by his own people and where crushing defeat for him is now sure.

    “The face of Bayelsa state will be restored and our great party, the APC, loved by the good people of our state and deemed a credible alternative, will coast to victory come Nov. 11”.

  • Bayelsa poll: Court dismisses APC aspirant’s suit seeking Sylva’s disqualification

    Bayelsa poll: Court dismisses APC aspirant’s suit seeking Sylva’s disqualification

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed a suit seeking disqualification of Mr Timipre Sylva from contesting Nov. 11 Bayelsa governorship poll.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, held that the plaintiff, Mrs Ogbomade Johnson, failed to prove the case upon preponderance of evidence as required by law.

    “The case therefore fails for lacking in merit. Consequently, I make an order dismissing the case of the plaintiff for lacking in merit.

    “This is the order of this court,” Justice Ekwo declared.

    The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/575/2023, was filed by Mrs Johnson, an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for Bayelsa governorship election against Sylva, the immediate-past Minister of State for Petroleum.

    According to reports,  Mrs Johnson, in the suit dated April 24 but filed April 27 had sued APC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Sylva as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.

    She prayed the court for an order of mandatory injunction compelling INEC to delist the names of APC and Sylva from among the list of political parties and candidates for the November election.

    The aggrieved aspirant also prayed for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Sylva from parading himself as the APC’s governorship candidate in Bayelsa, among others.

    She sought a declaration that the APC was duty-bound in contract to commence and conclude primary election in Bayelsa in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the regulations and guidelines of the political party, after having demanded and received the sum of N10 million from her, along with other five aspirants.

    Johnson further sought a declaration that by virtue of the conduct of the APC’s primary poll on April 14 in contravention of the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the regulations and guidelines of the political party, the APC had no candidate to field for the poll, among other reliefs.

    NAN

  • INEC to start mock accreditation of voters for Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo guber elections

    INEC to start mock accreditation of voters for Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo guber elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to commence a mock accreditation for the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states.

    The test run will take place simultaneously in the three States on Saturday 14th October 2023 from 8.30am to 2.30pm,” said a statement by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.

    The commission explained that the mock accreditation would be conducted using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

    See full statement below;

    MOCK ACCREDITATION OF VOTERS FOR THE FORTHCOMING OFF-CYCLE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS

    The Commission met today Monday 25th September 2023 and, among other issues, reviewed the preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle Governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States scheduled for Saturday 11th November 2023.

    As was the case in recent off-cycle Governorship elections, the Commission will conduct a mock accreditation using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and upload of polling units results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). The test run will take place simultaneously in the three States on Saturday 14th October 2023 from 8.30am to 2.30pm.

    A maximum of three polling units in each Senatorial District have been identified across each of the three States, covering a total of nine Senatorial District and 27 polling units. Lessons learnt from the exercise will be taken into consideration in ensuring a seamless process on Election Day.

    Full details of the polling units, including their locations by Local Government Area (LGA), Registration Area (RA)/Ward, Delimitation Code and number of registered voters have been uploaded to our website and social media platforms.

    The Commission appeals to registered voters in the selected polling units to turn up with their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for the exercise.

    The public is advised that this is strictly a test accreditation exercise and not the actual election.

    Sam Olumekun mni
    National Commissioner & Chairman,
    Information and Voter Education Committee
    Monday 25th September 2023

  • Bayelsa PDP youth leader, top aides to Gov. Diri dump PDP

    Bayelsa PDP youth leader, top aides to Gov. Diri dump PDP

    Some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa, including the party’s Youth Leader, Nunieh Odede, have dumped the party.

    Odede and others switched allegiance from Gov. Douye Diri to the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, ahead of the November 11 poll in the state.

    In a handwritten letter sighted on Monday in Yenagoa, Odede announced his resignation from PDP while other principal aides of the governor also resigned their positions to campaign for Sylva.

    A statement signed on Monday by Sylva’s Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Julius Bokoru, confirmed that Odede held a meeting with the APC governorship hopeful.

    Bokoru quoted Odede as saying at the meeting: “We have spent years with the PDP and we built the party to where it is.

    “It is imperative we move on now in the light of what is happening in the state.

    “Bayelsa is in comatose and we cannot keep doing the old things and expect to get it right.

    “Our resignation from PDP, honestly, is to save our dear state from further ruins.”

    The statement also quoted Sylva to have commended the courage of Odede and other defectors, who chose the progress and development of the state over selfish gains.

    According to the statement, Sylva said: “Youths are always the driving force of every society, youths also embody and give a trajectory of what the future would look like.

    “Your decisions today is heroic and selfless.

    “You have placed state over self and beyond even the elections.

    “You instil in us all that Bayelsa state is bound to do well”.

    The statement listed those who defected from PDP to APC to include the Director, Bayelsa State Evironmental Authority, Abiah Oyisor, the Governor’s Representative, Yenegoa Local Government Area, Ayaye Obuma.

    The other aides to the governor were Itu Goodluck, Timipa Ile
    and Olali.

    Bokoru also stated that the defectors would be formally received with thousands of their supporters at a formal endorsement ceremony.

    He added that the defection further dimished Diri’s chances of winning Yenagoa, the capital city, especially the Epie/Atissa kingdoms, where he claimed that Sylva was making significant inroad.

    The statement also confirmed that the APC Deputy Governorship Candidate, Joshua Maciver, recently received thousands of defectors from Sagbama LGA and the home of Diri’s Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.

  • Bayelsa LP candidate faults Diri’s last minutes appointments

    Bayelsa LP candidate faults Diri’s last minutes appointments

    Mr Udengs Eradiri, the Bayelsa Labour Party (LP) Candidate for the Nov.11 election has faulted Gov. Douye Diri’s last minutes appointments and hiring of political appointees.

    Eradiri said this in a statement on Tuesday in Yenagoa.

    He said that the last minutes employment and hiring of political appointees was targeted at deceiving the electorate, ahead of the Nov.11 poll.

    Eradiri however, lauded the governor for appointing some political players from the LP in his desperate attempt to boost his chances at the poll.

    He alleged that the governor was working on plans to use some willing LP executives in the state to create false impression that the party had collapsed into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “What is coming on Nov. 11 is beyond party. It is a mass movement and a revolution against bad, incompetent and clueless government.

    “I am happy that LP has become a force to reckon with ahead of this poll and that my participation in the election as the candidate of the party is giving Diri a nightmare.

    “My involvement in the election has provided jobs for people, who ordinarily were not considered fit to work in the government of Diri. In the last three years, the governor did not consider rolling out jobs for people and engaging more political appointees.

    “But today, a few weeks to the election, Diri is hawking appointment letters as a strategy to boost his chances. Unknown to him, Bayelsa people are wiser now.

    They understand his game. Besides, he is not doing them any favour because the money is not owned by the governor. It belongs to the people,” he said.

    Eradiri added: “So, if he invites you, go and take , If he gives you a job, accept it and enjoy it while it lasts. But the truth is that this great state deserves a better alternative and should be rescued from the incompetence of this administration.”

    He said that such deceptive campaign method was used in the past but that those who thought they had secured jobs as appointees of the government were laid off after the poll.

    “Common sense will tell everybody that this is just a campaign strategy, which will fail woefully like a pack of cards. Diri has occupied the office for over three years but did not deem it fit to employ anybody.

    “But suddenly he woke up from his slumber a few weeks to another election and started hawking appointments.

    “It is only a bait to give the people false hope and subject them to making a decision against their will. The truth is that the process is designed to fail immediately after the election. We are calling on our people to be vigilant and not to be deceived,” he said.

  • PDP chieftain decries use of market square as classrooms

    PDP chieftain decries use of market square as classrooms

    Ekiye Akposeye, Convener of the PDP Alliance for Democracy (PAS), has decried the lack of classrooms at Ogobiri community in Sagbama, Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

    Akposeye expressed his concerns on the development in a statement on Tuesday in Yenagoa

    The PDP stalwart said that the development had compelled some school to resort to the use of market squares as their classrooms.

    “It is quite worrying that in 2023 students would have to attend classes in a market square at Ogobiri community.

    “Even beyond politics this is bad. As a PDP supporter this is not good for the optics.

    “Sagbama has been, for years, one of the strong bases of our party. The news of the unfortunate happenings at Ogobiri is not a good show of our party’s value system,” he said.

    Akposeye said he learnt the governor had been briefed about the consequences of such development to his second term campaign bid and that he had asked his Commissioner for Education to visit the area.

    He said that the governor was aware of the fact that children were being taught in the market square at Ogobiri as there were no classrooms.

    According to him, the governor has directed the Commissioner for Education to do on the spot check on Tuesday.

    He called on the governor to expedite action on the issue and ensure that the community has well-furnished classrooms for the students.

    “The approach is simple and classical: build classroom blocks at Ogobiri and take our children off the streets and markets”, he said.

    An official of Bayelsa Ministry of Education confirmed that the Commissioner of Education, Dr Gentle Emelah was scheduled to visit the market Square being used as a school in Sagbama.

     

  • Bayelsa guber poll: INEC assures on deployment of BVAS, improved logistics

    Bayelsa guber poll: INEC assures on deployment of BVAS, improved logistics

    INEC on Thursday restated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed for voter accreditation and transmission of result on Nov. 11 governorship poll in Bayelsa.

    This was disclosed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga, at a news conference on the commission’s readiness for the forthcoming election at the INEC office in Yenagoa.

    He said that almost all the non-sensitive materials were already in the local government areas where the election would be conducted.

    He explained that the sensitive materials would, on arrival, be warehoused at the Cental Bank of Nigeria from where they would be distributed to various locations.

    Effanga said, “Nothing has changed with the process of election in Nigeria. We are still going to conduct election based on the provisions of the Constitution, Electoral Act and guidelines of INEC.

    “After voting at the polling units, the votes will be counted there, they will be recorded in the physical result sheet, we will use the BVAS to take a snapshot of the results.

    “They will be taken to the collation centre where the results are authenticated and the photograph that was taken will be uploaded onto the result viewing portal.

    “Then from there we move from the wards collation to the local government collation. From the local government collation, we come to the state collation centre.

    “That is when the final collation is done and the result is announced and a winner is declared.

    “I assure you on behalf of my team, we will do all our best to conduct a very good election, taking into cognisance what the Constitution says, what the Electoral Act says,” the REC said.

    He explained that the guidelines for the election would be strictly followed as the commision puts finishing touches to its plan to ensure success.

    “Every vote will count, we will ensure that every personnel sent to the field are adequately qualified and knowledgeable about the processes of election.

    “We will not interfere in any way to aid or assist anyone. Anybody that wants to win the election should be talking to the voters,” he said.

    According to him, eligible voters who have not collected their voter cards will do so from Sept. 11 to Oct. 9, adding that the collection of the voter cards will be at the local government offices of INEC.

    “In registration areas also known as wards where we have more than 500 voters’ cards that have not been collected, those cards will be available at those registration centres for the voters to collect their cards.

    “Every registration area that has more than 500 cards that have not been collected, the owners of those cards can go to the registration area centres and collect them.

    “But where you have less than that, you have to go to the INEC office in the local government area,” he said.