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Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has described the delisting of Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the list of governorship candidates in the November 11 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as answer to his own prayer.
Governor Diri also stated that Sylva’s disqualification by a Federal High Court in Abuja was in furtherance of that prayer.
The Bayelsa governor, who is seeking re-election on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform, spoke at Ofoni community in Constituency 1 as he rounded off his campaigns in Sagbama Local Government Area
Diri recalled how the former governor told Bayelsans through a live programme on Yenagoa-based radio stations in November last year that the chapter of contesting the governorship seat of the state again was closed.
He also stated that Sylva said on the programme that his party would pick a credible governorship candidate and it would not be him.
His words: “They (Sylva) said categorically that they will never run for governor of Bayelsa again and God answered their prayers.
“INEC has published the names of those to contest the November 11 governorship election and Sylva and (Joshua) Maclver’s names were excluded. The court has also disqualified him.”
The governor thanked the Ofoni community, where his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, hails from, for giving him their son who has been very supportive and working with him to deliver good governance to people of the state.
He said the beauty of government was to bring happiness to the people and allow the principles of government work for the collective good, noting however that others believe that they were emperors and the others their slaves.
Ewhrudjakpo commended his people for always demonstrating their unflinching love for him and his principal, urging them to again give what he described as ‘Kano votes’ to the PDP in the election.
He emphasized that although the opposition shot itself in the foot by fielding an unqualified candidate and his running mate, the people still have to come out enmasse to give the governor overwhelming victory.
Diri seized the opportunity to inaugurate an internal road in Ofoni, a motor park, another fully equipped technical college and a 10,000-seater pavilion
The campaign trail also visited the palace of the Odion of Ofoni Federated Community, where the 98-year-old oldest man in the community, Chief Timothy Ejuvwevwo gave Diri and Ewhrudjakpo his blessings.
