*Says Bayelsans, enslaved by poverty must be delivered
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Election Committee for Bayelsa State has declared immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva as the standard-bearer of the party in the state for the November 11, 2023, governorship election.
The chairman of the committee, Major General Ahmed Jibrin(rtd.), who announced the results at the party secretariat after collation of results from the 105 wards in the eight local government areas of the state disclosed that Sylva polled 52,061 votes out of the 58, 141 votes cast in the election.
Great Joshua MacIver polled 2,078 votes to take second position.
The immediate past Governor-elect in the 2019 governorship election, Chief David Lyon polled 1582 votes to take third position. Others are Prof. Ongoebi Etebu 1277 votes, Mrs. Ikisima Ogbomade 584 votes and Barr. Festus Daumiebi 557 votes.
According to him, Sylva won in all the local governments including Southern Ijaw where three of the aspirants, Chief David Lyon, Chief Joshua MacIver and Festus Daumiebi hail from.
Jibrin commended the aspirants and party members for their peaceful conduct and for a hitch-free exercise which produced the candidate for the party.
The agent of Sylva, Hon Israel Sunny-Goli, in his remarks, commended the election committee for their dedication and diligence during the exercise.
He assured that the party has taken the right step in picking Sylva whom he described as the next governor of Bayelsa State.
Sunny-Goli also expressed delight with the comportment of the other aspirants, noting that APC Bayelsa is one big family.
MacIver in his remarks stated that as fellow aspirants, they knew it was going to be a Herculean task to defeat Sylva whether in a direct or indirect primary election.
He assured that the aspirants would join hands with Sylva to ensure that the state wins the November 11, 2023, elections.
Prof Maureen Ongoebi Etebu described the exercise as peaceful, stressing that with the emergence of Sylva as the candidate, there is no victor, no vanquished.
Sylva in his acceptance speech corroborated Etebu’s words of no victor, no vanquished, adding that the party has the urgent task of reclaiming the state.
While lamenting the state of development in the state, he criticised the PDP government for not paying attention to power generation and control of flooding in the state.
“I will not consider myself as having won an election against fellow aspirants. Prof Etebu has already said there is no victor no vanquished and I adopt that wholeheartedly. We are one family; we are one people, one Bayelsa and all of us have one paramount interest, that interest is the forward movement and progress and development of our dear state of Bayelsa. This is what has driven us to contest and no one person can claim to have the solution to the problems of Bayelsa state. It is a collective work by all of us that can bring development to the state.
“We have a lot of problems as you know; I am very sure anybody that comes to Bayelsa for the first time knows that Bayelsa needs development. You don’t need a soothsayer to tell you that. Bayelsa needs empowerment; you don’t need a soothsayer to tell you that.
“When I was governor the last time, I was 42 years old. I have gone out there and I now have experience. I have become bigger and better. I have seen the world and the world knows me now and I know the world. I have to use all that experience that I have garnered to develop Bayelsa State.
“The first job we have to do is to win the November 11 2023 election. We must all join hands together now. We must hit the ground running. All aspirants must come together. We should think on how to deliver this party. We have a major task before us and Bayelsans are looking up to us to deliver Bayelsans that have been enslaved by poverty,” Sylva pointed out.
