Bayelsa Gov’ship poll: You’re unsellable candidate, Diri knocks Sylva

Sylva is former governor of the state and immidate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.

Diri is seeking a second term in office under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The governor, who spoke during a meeting with the PDP stakeholders from Nembe Local Government Area of the state in Government House, Yenagoa, on Thursday, boasted that APC was not a problem to the PDP in the state.

He stated that the candidate of APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, had already been dumped by his party chieftains due to his alleged poor performance in public office.

Governor Diri claimed that the APC candidate failed as governor as well as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources as he made no positive impact while he held sway.

He said: “As a sitting governor, the killings that took place during the 2019 election in Nembe would not be allowed to be repeated. Your son, Sylva, is an unsellable candidate. That is why his own close allies are with us. So we are not fighting APC.

“Instead, we are against the killing of our people in Nembe. Every accusing finger is pointed at Kojo Sam and his boys. And these are the people supporting Sylva because he is shielding them.

“Apart from this, how do you hope to be governor of our state when you brought someone who allegedly ran away from prison without completing his term to be your running mate? That does not happen even in a Banana republic.”

The governor expressed confidence that the PDP would win the election because the people were happy with the developmental projects embarked on by his administration.

He emphasised that the era of obtaining votes through violence was over. He said candidates and their parties should present their achievements and allow the people to decide.

Sylva, had on Wednesday alerted security agencies and members of the public to a plot by the state Governor, Senator Douye Diri, to stoke fresh crisis in Opu-Nembe ahead of the November 11 governorship election.