Sylva’s Political Craft In Bayelsa -By Idris Usman

As the December 6 governorship election in Bayelsa State draws close, every concerned Nigerian, particularly those conversant with the history of Bayelsa politics, have every reason to show concern and voice out opinions that will not only ensure a free and fair process, but also guarantee security of lives and properties before, during and after the election.

Events of the past few days have further raised the need for the above. We will recall that only few days ago, thugs wielding all sorts of dangerous weapons attacked the campaign train of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Yenagoa. These attackers not minding the presence of the PDP governorship candidate, the incumbent governor, Hon. Henry Sierake Dickson, threatened to launch further attacks on the PDP and its supporters by claiming that “We have the Federal”, meaning they are assured of the support of the Federal government.

As keen observers, we are not unmindlful of the antecedent of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming election, Chief Timipre Sylva. Having been given the opportunity to govern Bayelsa State in the past, the records of his preference for violence is crystal clear for all to see. Already, Bayelsans are blaming Timipre Sylva for cases of violence in the state, especially the attacks of the past few days.

Timipre Sylva’s electoral adventure speaks about his relevance and limitations. He amplifies his relevance by scaring his targets, even as he trades in threats. The Nigerian politician is at his worst moment of trepidation just about the time of elections. He is more susceptible to whispers, sounds of the soil and the conference of listless leaves.

It is the time the most miserly of them spend the kind of money which rends his heart with sadness. The kind of money he told all before election that God had not been kind enough to bless him with.

There is no moment of greater vulnerability for the APC in Bayelsa than now. The rate of their failed promises to Nigerians at the centre is untold. Since the APC took over governance at the centre, the gap between the rich and the poor is obscene. The leadership of the APC is uncouth and uncultured as exhibited daily. The commonman and his family members want to vote for food in their bellies.

While the APC at the centre nursed a dilemma over its thirst to bring a candidate known for violence and corruption up in Bayelsa state, the APC in Bayelsa appears to think it is a problem peculiar to the APC. Nothing could be more foolish. It tells that Timipre Sylva will go the whole hog and mess up his party’s chances. He is not fighting for the governor’s seat, he is fighting for his daily bread.

It is the theme which functions between the cries of corruption by the APC against the PDP at the centre, but corruption is Okay at the state and local government levels governed by their party. It is a resonance of the Sylva’s craft.

The people of Bayelsa State have great expectations. They want a continued development of their state, an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. They want less of media-powered performance. They are craving a lot less looting, huge indebtedness and empire buildings at the cost of continuous impoverishment of the people. People like Timipre Sylva and his gangs are too small to stand in the way of all of us.

For Bayelsans, it would it be better to have a chance in a small pool, than face a certain failure in a large one infested, fractioned and in very sinister party like APC, as it clearly shows right now.

We are sure that Timipre Sylva himself knows he is going nowhere in this election, hence his resort to violence and propaganda which he is determined to continually foster.

Idris Usman is the Director General of Centre for Public Integrity and Accountability