Bayelsa 2023: Diri, Sylva locked in massive offensive for 2nd term

•Eradiri, Osuluka, Subiri, others eye seat

By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa

THE outcome of the recently concluded 2023 general elections, undoubtedly, shows that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has a tall mountain to surmount in the predominantly riverine Bayelsa State where the ruling people’s Democratic Party, PDP swept aside its rival parties, clinching eight of the National Assembly seats (three senate and five House of representatives) and again maintained its dominance in the State House of Assembly winning 17 seats.

The election and APC’s recent primary also exposed the seeming lack of unity and cohesion in the opposition party, which could turn out to be its undoing in the November 11 governorship election unless its leaders put aside ego and personal ambition to commence genuine reconciliation of aggrieved members. As a party in Bayelsa, the APC, no doubt, revolves around Chief Timipre Sylva, the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum and one time governor of the state.

APC astoundingly lost a senatorial seat in the zone of its leader and candidate for the forthcoming governorship poll as well the Reps seat in his Southern Ijaw federal constituency homestead to its bitter rival, the ruling PDP. The senatorial zone is expected to influence the outcome of the November poll. The APC made an inroad in the state assembly winning five seats while the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, clinched two seats. Incidentally, the two seats won by APGA were based on protest votes over alleged imposition of candidates gunning for third term by the PDP.

For a party that against all odds brought to an end the nearly 20 years of PDP rule in 2019 governorship election until providence played a cruel joke on it following the verdict of the Supreme Court which sacked its governor-elect, few hours to his swearing in over alleged discrepancies in the names of his running mate, the 2023 general election was a blow to the APC in the state. Interestingly, the battle for the soul of the state is now shifted to the Creek Haven, the Bayelsa Government House. So, the question is who can dislodge the incumbent Senator Douye Diri, the man fondly referred to as a miracle Governor because of the circumstances surrounding his ascendance to power.

Already, the race is panning out as a straight one between Diri and Sylva, who are both looking for second term. While Diri is currently serving his first term, Sylva served between 2008 and 2012. The PDP and its candidate, Diri will be heading to the battlefield as a united and formidable front with a remarkable and intimidating scorecard of achievements. Diri who hails from Kolokuma/ Okpokuma Local Government Area, was a Senator, ex member of the House of Representatives, and former Commissioner for Youth and Sports in the state.

He was also a teacher, and former Organising Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress, a position that drew him closer to the grassroots which may have influenced his governance style and ability to relate well with all as well as providing leadership for his party which resulted in the tsunami witnessed in the just concluded general elections in the state. His supporters claim that he has the support of the people because of his developmental strides.

Today, many riverine communities which hitherto could not be reached by road are now motorable. Many believe that he remains the man to beat come November 11 given his intimidating credentials of achievements in the last three years. “We have not witnessed a situation like this in Bayelsa State where in a major election, not a single life was lost. No security threats, kudos to the incumbent government. He has also won the hearts of Bayelsans. I never believed I would ever travel by road to my ancestral homeland at Angiama in Southern Ijaw LGA in my life time because of the nearly 60 years of failed promises by successive governments at the state and national level but Diri was able to break the jinx.

“Also, our senior citizens are now getting their pension regularly as well as their gratuities on time. That’s for a fact. I get to hear different testimonies from neighbours and other citizens,” Elder Ebiye Accra stated. However, the APC candidate, Chief Sylva, the Okpoama born politician from Brass LGA could be described as the strongest among those jostling to wrestle power from the incumbent having held one of the juiciest portfolios at the federal level as a Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and as a former governor of the state.

He has the requisite war chest and connection at the federal level to actualize his ambition of returning to Creek Haven but all cannot be said to be well with his party in which some members have accused him of running the party as his private estate. They blamed the abysmal performance of the party in the state at the 2023 polls on him. The primaries that threw up the party candidates before the poll, they argued, was one-man show. Will Sylva repeat David Lyon’s 2019 feat?

Though his army of supporters believe he has the magic wand to repeat the David Lyon feat of 2019 insisting he was the unseen hand behind the APC victory at the poll having backed Lyon to emerge as candidate, findings, however, show that most of the aspirants who contested against him are unhappy with the conduct of the election and the result declared. There is also the fear that some of those who lost the party primary to Sylva may work against the party.

In order to brighten APC’s chances, watchers of political events in the state are of the opinion that the APC national leadership must reconcile the aggrieved aspirants and others who have since turned their backs against the party. Eradiri, Osuluka, Subiri, others eye seat Also in the race is Engr Udens Eradiri of the Labour Party, LP. The former President of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, worldwide and former Commissioner for Youths and later Environment under the Seriake Dickson administration is one of the youngest candidates jostling to occupy the Creek Haven.

The Agudama-Ekpetiama-born youth activist turned politician will be banking on the youths to actualise his dream having served as a youth leader at both the central (Bayelsa) and national level of the Ijaw nation. Waibodei Subiri of the All progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, is said to be a former teacher and surveyor. He promised to focus on youth empowerment, noting that the only way to achieve a better state is to get a greater percentage of youths involved in governance. For Binalayefa Joshua Osuluku, a legal practitioner and candidate of the Social Democratic Party,SDP, promised to work for the victory of his party by unseating the PDP in the governorship election and bring about a paradigm shift in the governance of the state.