Bayelsa guber: Anxiety over Sylva, Alaibe

By Henry Umoru & Samuel Oyadongha
ABUJA—AHEAD of Bayelsa State November 19, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship primaries, leadership of the party, yesterday, summoned Governor Timipre Sylva and former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Timi Alaibe in Abuja.

They were drilled for hours by the screening appeal panel.

The unusual aspect was summoning of Governor Sylva and some other aspirants, who scaled the the Mrs Abiodun Olujimi-led appeal panel screening.

There were strong indications of moves for Governor Sylva’s disqualifi-cation, a source told Vanguard at the end of the panels meeting, yesterday.

However, after facing the appeal panel, the Governor told journalists that his Port Harcourt clearance last week was intact, saying: “My clearance is still subsisting.”

Meanwhile, well over 1,000 Police and other security personnel, yesterday, took over the Abuja national secretariat of PDP as the appeal panel headed by the former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Olujimi, screened Sylva, Alaibe, Ben Murray-Bruce, Boloubo Orufa and Francis Doukpola.

The screening followed the petitions received by the party leadership over alleged irregularities trailing the just-concluded Bayelsa State PDP screening done in Port Harcourt, at which Sylva, Ben Bruce, Mr. Henry Dickson, Boloubo Orufa and others were cleared. Alaibe had failed to scale the screening.

It will be recalled that the Rtd Brigadier-General Idi Adamu-led screening committee, last Thursday in Port Harcourt, cleared Sylva and Ben Bruce but disqualified Alaibe and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources, Ambassador Godknows Igali.

The ambassador is representing Nigeria at the United Nations 66th General Assembly on Water Resources, Food Security, Job Creation and Social Protection in New York.

Alaibe was disqualified on the ground that he had not stayed in the party for the mandatory two years, but has since applied for waiver from the national leadership of the party based on the fact that he is not only a foundation member of the party but contributed to the victory of PDP during the April presidential election.

Vanguard gathered that he had insisted that the party must grant him the waiver to enable him contest. He was said to have reported to the leadership of the party that he wrote to his ward and was cleared but was being frustrated by Governor Sylva at the state level. This, he said, necessitated the summoning of Sylva to explain his side of the story.

The source told Vanguard that Alaibe cited the case of Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto State, who left All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and was granted a waiver by the party. He was also said to have mentioned the case of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State who dumped Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, for PDP and was received, which qualified him to run for the governorship election.

Alaibe said having served the party in various ways, especially during the last presidential election and being a founding member of PDP, he deserved a waiver.

Another source at the Wadata House national secretariat of PDP, disclosed that Ambassador Igali was expected to be given special screening by PDP anytime he returns from the national assignment.

It was also gathered that Governor Sylva was summoned by the panel not on the ground of his eligibility, but as a result of petitions against him.

Answering questions from journalists after his session with members of the appeal panel, Sylva, who confirmed that he was summoned to clarify some issues, however, expressed optimism that the clearance he got last week to go into the PDP governorship primaries will not be withdrawn.

He said: “Whenever my party calls, I will answer even if it is on a Sunday. It is the party’s prerogative to call me anytime. I have been cleared and the party just invited me to clarify some issues which I have clarified.”

On whether his invitation would affect his clearance, Governor Sylva pointed out that his clearance had always been subsistence, stressing that there was no problem as nobody had taken away the clearance.

Sylva said: “I am not aware of any petition. But everybody has a right to complain about something. It is also my right to explain my position to the party and I believe that the party is satisfied.

“Everything that has been written is a figment of some people’s imagination and I told the party so. I told them exactly how things are and the party believed me. I believe that the party will conduct a fair primaries.”

On whether the removal of the acting Chairman, who was loyal to him, would affect his chances at the primaries, he said: “It doesn’t matter.”