BAYELSA GUBER RACE : APC MEMBER REPLIES HON. SUNNY GOLI OVER COMMENT ON SYLVA AMBITION

Yenagoa/Bayelsa – A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comr. Ikoko Kesiye has called out Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli, the immediate past member representing Brass-Nembe federal constituency over his recent renunciation of loyalty to Chief Timipre Sylva, his long-time principal.

Sunny-Goli had in a press conference on Thursday withdrawn his loyalty and support to Sylva who is the APC governorship candidate in the forthcoming Bayelsa guber election.

Sunny-Goli who cited the lack of appreciation of his loyalty by Sylva as the reason for his actions further projected Governor Douye Diri who is seeking retention in office to win the November election, adding that his former boss lacks the structure to defeat the incumbent Governor.

Reacting to the development in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday, Ikoko described the former lawmaker’s actions as deceitful and hypocritical.

He said Sunny-Goli should rather apologize to the people of Brass-Nembe for what he termed an abysmal outing as their representative for four years.

He maintained that throughout his stay in office, the former lawmaker neither sponsored a bill nor moved a reasonable motion that impacted his people.

Ikoko, a former President of the National Union of Bayelsa State Students (NUBSS), argued that Sylva made Sunny-Goli who he is today, adding that if not for the structure of the former governor, Sunny-Goli would not have been a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly let alone a federal lawmaker.

In his words, “How long should we continue to deceive the Good people of Bayelsa via the media? As a former president of NUBSS and die-hard APC member, I condemn the statement of Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli.

“The former lawmaker should be bold enough to apologize to the people of Brass-Nembe Federal constituency for his poor performance at the National Assembly.

“He was there for four years without a bill and reasonable motions. In four years he could not rally the federal lawmakers to urgently direct relevant MDAs to solve or mitigate the erosion problems facing Odioama, Akassa, and other coastal communities he represented.

“His time in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly was the worst in the history of Brass Constituency 1. Nothing to show for it! Dr. Daniel Charles’ excellent performance in his first tenure has made a mess of his own era.

“We can’t as constituents remember relevant bills and motions he raised that impacted our lives. The only project we remember him for was the musical concert he organized in 2017 and we begin to ask if we voted him to organize shows or to bring rapid development to our people.

“If not for Sylva who gave him the party ticket and gave him all the support, there was no way he could have become an assembly member, a position that enabled him to protect his contracts to sustain.

“In 2019, Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli lost woefully in his unit, his ward, and in Twon-Brass. It was the same structure of Sylva that saved and got him elected.

“The same thing happened in the February 2023 elections. He lost in his community, his ward, and LGA but managed to win his polling unit by less than 10 votes. It was the Same Sylva’s structure that gave him all the votes he got to come second.

“For the record, the brilliant people of Brass-Nembe Federal Constituency did not reelect him because of his mediocre representation in Abuja.”

“How can you say a man who made you his special adviser and helped you till you became a federal lawmaker took your loyalty for granted?”

The former Bayelsa student leader alleged that Sunny-Goli is not empowering his loyalists, asking to know “Who has made it to the next level in Hon. Sunny-Goli’s political family? Absolutely none. Nobody has made it through him.

“Sylva empowered him but he has refused to empower others. Now he is angry that Sylva’s hand of goodwill is touching others too.

“He has been in politics for three decades but none has made it through him. Does it not really speak volumes of the kind of person he truly is?

“Eight years as a state and federal lawmaker, we have never had Town Hall Meetings or a media briefing to address the suffering of our people, his constituents; and that clearly shows why he was defeated by Mrs. Marie Ebikake.”

He accused Sunny-Goli of biting the finger that fed him and insisted that the former lawmaker is still pained that he lost his seat in the last election, hence his attack on Sylva.

Ikoko advised Sunny-Goli to retrace his steps and respect his benefactor (Sylva) who he insists made his political dreams a reality.

“The former lawmaker is still pained by the recent defeat and blames everyone but himself. He should look inwards and retrace his steps. What happened to all his teachings about respecting one’s benefactors? Can’t he do as he has preached to us for years?

“He would not have had the guts to carry on this anti-Sylva campaign if the man was still a minister. That shows his loyalty ended immediately after the benefits dwindled or stopped.

“Hon. Sunny-Goli thinks he is embarrassing Sylva but in the actual sense, he is demonstrating to the world who he truly is: a man who is not grateful to his leader that brought him from grass to grace. I don’t think even the PDP will trust him