By HENRY UMORU, Abuja
AHEAD of February 11, 2012 Bayelsa State governorship election, Governor Timipre Sylva yesterday submitted his Expression of Interest and nomination forms at the secretarait of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, with that he had been endorsed by President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term in office.

Sylva also had a message to other aspirants that the primary election will hold in the state and not Abuja.

Sylva who spoke to newsmen after submitting his forms, noted that he was still loved and cherished by the people of Bayelsa State even as President Jonathan, who is also an indigene of the state and one time governor of the area, had promised to work with to ensure his victory during the primary election slated for November 19, thus diffusing claims that he was no longer acceptable for the position of governor in the state.

News making the rounds had claimed that the President had endorsed another candidate for PDP governorship ticket of Bayelsa State.

But Sylva described those parading themselves as candidate(s) of the President as liars, pointing out that if the President has to endorse anybody it would be him, and none of the other aspirants who had their posters in Abuja alone.

Also, yesterday, one of his opponents, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, who was at the Secretariat to submit his forms, said that the President should be left out of controversies surrounding the Bayelsa state governorship election, promising to build consensus as governor of Bayelsa State.

Dickson further said that aspirants for the governorship position in the state should campaign for the position on the strength of their ideas and relationship with the people.

He however said he had ‘’informed the President and he knows all the steps I am taking on this issue. I even informed him that I was coming to submit my forms.

‘’I have looked at my opponents and I don’t think any of them is worth my replacement. I joined PDP before any of them. I joined PDP in 1998 and I have been good to PDP and PDP has been good to me.’’