By Samuel Oyadongha
Although no clear favourite has emerged in the forthcoming governorship election in Bayelsa State most observers believe it is going to be a ding dong affair between Governor Timipre Sylva of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Timi Alaibe of the Labour Party.

Though the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN  parades a well respected guber candidate in the person of Dr. Imoro Kubor but perceived internal wrangling among party chieftains over the circumstances that threw up the aviation expert and retired federal permanent secretary may work against the interest of the party at the general elections.

However, worst hit by avalanche of protests both before and after the primaries has been the PDP with some of its members decamping to the Labour Party.

Interestingly, a PDP chieftain had told Vanguard that any of its members not prepared to abide by the party’s rules was free to go and boasted that their departure would not affect its fortunes at the polls.

“The PDP umbrella is big enough to accommodate everybody but if some felt they are not comfortable with the party they are free to go. We are confident that their departure will not in anyway diminish the fortunes of our great party,” he boasted.

Although the ruling PDP, which prided itself as the dominant party in the predominantly riverine state having been in power since the return of multi-party democracy in 1999, may have the resources at its disposal to prosecute its agenda to retain power it however has a formidable foe in the Labour Party given the influx of its chieftains to the latter in the wake of the resignation of the former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Timi Alaibe from his position to contest the state governorship election under the platform of LP.

The entrance of the former Presidential aide into the governorship race to many has altered the political equation of the state.

But a source said the realignment of camps wasn’t because of Alaibe’s entrance into the guber race. He blamed the inability of the leadership of the PDP to allow internal democracy to flourish in the party for the development.

His words: “If only the PDP had provided a level playing ground for all its members aspiring for positions we would not have lost most of our members to these other parties. The battle ahead is tough but we (PDP) shall triumph.”

The rapid transformation of the hitherto dormant Labour Party, which only existed on paper into a potent force in the political arena of the state did not come as surprise to most observers of events in the state.

Alaibe, from all indications, is the driving force behind this transformation which has turned LP into a sought after party among the political class especially aggrieved members of the PDP, who felt unjustly schemed out in the party primaries.

Given this scenario, the April election is expected to be hotly contested as most of the candidates were former members of the PDP family who understand the state’s political turf.

“It is going to be a hot contest among members of the same family who parted ways in order to actualise their ambitions. If I must be frank with you, some of the candidates returned by the ruling PDP as its flag bearers for the April polls are liability to the party.

It might interest you to know that some of them were outrightly rejected by the people of their constituencies but were foisted on them,” the source said adding that this might work against the party at the general election if only the vote of the people would count in line with Mr. President’s one_man_one vote mantra. But the PDP is not relenting as it is prepared to utilise its power of incumbency to overrun its adversaries at the polls as well as banking on its achievements to sway the electorate to its side.