The governorship ambition of a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, received a boost yesterday with the decision of his erstwhile rival for the All Progressives Congress, APC, ticket, Chief Timi Alaibe, to work for the party’s victory in the December 5, 2015 election.
Alaibe, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in a statement titled “Rallying Bayelsans to vote APC for gubernatorial election, December 5, 2015”, directed all his loyalists to back Sylva and work for the later’s victory at the coming election.
This directive puts paid to the apparent confusion in the camp of Alaibe in view of the misgivings and bad blood that characterised APC’s governorship primary which compelled Alaibe to withdraw from the contest.
While Alaibe accepted the outcome of the primary, some of his supporters were reported to be planning a return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to work for the governor of the state, Mr Seriake Dickson.
But the former NDDC boss, has now in an action seen as a master-stroke against the PDP appealed to his supporters to remain in APC and be committed to the change movement.
The statement recalled that it was exactly a month that Alaibe stepped down from competing in the opposition party’s primary, describing it as one of the numerous personal sacrifices he had made since venturing into politics.
According to him, “I stepped into the race to give further bite to my burning desire to extricate Bayelsa State from abysmal leadership failure. The decision to withdraw from the race may have attracted various meanings across Bayelsa State and beyond with some understandably expressing misgivings and disappointment.
“All the same, it had to be done for purposes I had clearly indicated to be in the overall interest of the APC and Bayelsa. We retreated to have the opportunity to further test our acceptability, which we believe is still wide and solid, in the future.
“My dear friends, supporters and loyalists, my previous forays into the political arena ended amicably on the negotiation table. The negotiations were not of particular pecuniary benefits to me alone. So many persons have become senators, members of the House of Representatives, State Commissioners and so on.
“This time round, we beat a tactical retreat because of the tempestuous conditions capable of overheating the APC in Bayelsa State and consequent loss of innocent and valuable lives. We believe strongly that no personal ambition is worth the spilling of blood.”
While drumming up support for the APC and its flag bearer, he added: “I remain very humbled and elated by your commitment to the cause of changing Bayelsa, and change Bayelsa we must.
“Following the primaries, Governor Timipre Sylva emerged as the flag bearer for the party. We congratulate him and applaud his doggedness. The National Leadership of our party has enjoined all groups to close ranks and work for the unity and success of the APC on December 5, 2015.
“In this regard, Chief Timipre Sylva deserves our maximum support as the governorship candidate of our great party. I therefore enjoin you to come out one and all and work assiduously for APC and our flag bearer, Timipre Sylva. I am convinced that it is only our collective effort that can bring about the much needed change in Bayelsa State.
“The grassroots belong to you. Beat the pavements, knock the doors, move from community to community, from ward to ward, from polling booth to polling booth. Speak to all the men, women and youths of voting age.
“Get them to vote for change, for APC, the only party that can change Bayelsa from the economic and infrastructural malaise it currently faces.
“Let us all work assiduously to restore Bayelsa’s prosperity, defend our security, especially at this time when Bayelsa State is teetering in the throes of a security crisis. Let us work together to begin afresh to leave a legacy for a stronger, more virile Bayelsa State.”
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