By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The Progressive Consultative Forum (PCF) of Bayelsa State has thrown its weight behind the former Governor-elect of the state, David Lyon, over the current Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva in the forthcoming governorship election in the State.
In a statement issued yesterday by Wilberforce Waribote, who is the Director General of PCF, the group said one of the many sins of the Minister includes disobedience to court orders on the party executives at the ward-to-state levels.
“It is on record that Sylva’s leadership style sprang up grievances in the party, members decamped to other political parties and the state gravitated towards the Labour Party (LP). This was evident in the Presidential election of 25 February 2023. And it explained why all the APC national assembly candidates performed woefully.
“It is in light of this sad development in our party, that we members of the Progressive Consultative Forum (PCF) of Bayelsa state, wish to stem down the tide and reclaim the state back for APC. We are also committed to using the November 11 governorship election in the state to push the state back to the progressive camp.
“It is our considered opinion that for the APC to make an appreciable impact at the polls and win the governorship seat, the party must put forward its best and the most acceptable candidate, while also ensuring that it goes into the elections with a united force to defeat the ruling PDP and the emerging LP.
“It is our candid opinion that Chief Sylva, at this point, could not be considered APC’s best choice in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.”
In light of this, the leadership and members of the Progressive Consultative Forum of Bayelsa warned the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to make such a grievous mistake.
While pointing out that in terms of popularity, while Sylva appears to have lost favour with the electorates in Bayelsa, Lyon has been a philanthropist, and a bridge builder who has proved to be at home with the populace, including the physically challenged and the fatherless.
The group said “What the people of Bayelsa state need now is a practical politician like David Lyon who has indeed touched the lives of people positively including youth, women and the less privileged.
“We have it on good authority that members of the All Progressives Congress who decamped to other political parties are earnestly waiting for Lyon to return to the poll for them to come back to their party the APC.
“Lyon won convincingly against the ruling PDP in the 2019 governorship election despite the incumbent factor. He trounced the incumbent governor, Seriake and Diri at the election in 2019, but the
Supreme Court nullified the election after voiding the candidacy of his deputy governorship candidate, Sen. Biobarakuma Degi- Eriemienyo, against whom a case of forgery was established, going by the documents he presented to INEC.
“If David LYON had a winning formula in 2019, it is wise and reasonable to expect him to have the same in 2023. He has even asked the party for the right of first refusal for the governorship ticket.”
