Bayelsa Guber Race: Sylva Still Not Sure …Tension Mounts In Yenagoa

Barely eight days to the governorship primaries of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, the fate of the incumbent governor, Chief Timipre Sylva is still unknown.

This follows the absence of his name among those approved Wednesday for the primary election by the Peoples Democratic Party Screen Committee.

Those given the approval Wednesday to contest for the primaries include Donkpala Francis, Amaebi, Ekiyegha, Fred Korobido and Austin Febo.

Earlier last week, the PDP had cleared four for the primary elections. They were Orufa Justine Bolonbo, Henry Seriake Dickson, Enai Christopher Fullpower and Kalango Michael Yonpele.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Prof. Ahmed Alkali, the Party said “in continuation of the review of the reports of the screening committee and the screening Appeal Panel for the Gubernatorial Primaries in Bayelsa State, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party has approved the clearance of the second batch of aspirants to contest the primaries scheduled to take place on Saturday, 19th November, 2011.

The statement further stated that ‘the review exercise continues until all issues concerning all aspirants are successfully dealt with and disposed off”.

Meanwhile, in a telephone interview, a former PDP member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly who craved anonymity said, the case of Sylva was over and that he would not be called back or cleared.

The former Bayelsa State law maker, however, said, by next week everything would be clear, adding that the real candidate had not appeared yet.

Our correspondent in Yenagoa, reports that tension is high and everywhere was calm.

Soye Young-Itiye