Bayelsa fresh poll and increasing intrigues

Jonathan GoodluckAs political parties in Bayelsa State prepare for the May 24 fresh governorship election in the state, intrigues have become the stock-in-trade of politicians. Soji Ajibola reports that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the worse hit.

POLITICAL atmosphere in recent time in Bayelsa State is cloudy as the people, especially politicians, are not sure which of the contending political parties will benefit more from the May 24 date scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the re-run governorship election in the state. The Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, last month nullified the election of Chief Timipre Sylva and subsequently called for fresh election expected to be organised by the commission within three months. Shortly after the judgment, contending political parties went back to the drawing board to fashion out a winning formula and settle their various internal wranglings. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is no left out.

Prior to the Appeal Court verdict, the umbrella of the party could no longer hold rain, neither could it prevent sunshine. The party’s umbrella is in tattered as different factions are claiming to hold the leadership ace of the party. The situation, though it was denied, degenerated into a cold war between the vice president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and Chief Sylva. Also, it led to the emergence of two factional chairmen in the state chapter of the party. Members of the state House of Assembly had their own share of the crisis as there were allegations of impeachment and counter-impeachment within their ranks.

The former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, now the acting governor, Honourable Werinipre Seibarugu, was allegedly impeached on the allegation of gross misconduct, while his own group suspended six members from the other group. The situation degenerated into ‘roforofo’ fight until stakeholders, including PDP top-notchers, waded in. Sensing the danger the situation portended for the success of the party, the stakeholders, under the leadership of the vice president, met in Abuja to resolve their differences.

It was resolved at the meeting that aggrieved members should bury their hatchets and allow peace to reign, while Dr. Jonathan agreed to lead the campaign team of Chief Sylva as the standardbearer of the party. Prior to this period, there was insinuation that the PDP was planning to drop Sylva as its candidate as some unconfirmed allegations were leveled against him.

The matter shifted from mere political struggle to tribal politics. Particular tribes, even though, on paper, they all claim to the same Ijaw, saw the situation as an opportunity to claim their ‘rightful’ position in the state polity. Because of the state’s economic significance to the nation, registered political parties in the state saw the Appeal Court verdict as an opportunity to wrest power from the ruling PDP. The situation forced the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party to summon a stakeholders’ meeting in Yenagoa. Leading the NWC was its national chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor.

At the meeting, the candidacy of Chief Sylva was ratified, thus laying to rest the speculation that he was going to be dropped. Also, the stakeholders in the state resolved the internal wranglings among the party members as well as the division among the lawmakers. They all agreed in principle to work for Chief Sylva.

While political watchers thought that sleeping dog had been allowed to lie, the present situation has proved it otherwise. One of the contending parties, the Action Congress (AC), became the first to fire the salvo as it alleged the ruling party of financial recklessness and called on it to account for the N60 billion loan it took from a consortium of banks. It was even alleged that Due Process was not followed in sourcing for the loan.

But reacting to the allegation, the state Commissioner of Finance, Dr. Silva Opuala-Charles, said the loan was taken to facilitate the on-going capital projects tacross the state, just as he debunked the insinuation that it was not approved by the State House of Assembly.

The present administration, according to Commissioner for Works, Mr. Frank Opigo, who also spoke on the allegation, had awarded 47 internal roads, while work is going on on the opening of three senatorial roads and the multi-million naira Ikoli bridge. The loan, according to Opigo, would assist in the completion of the various projects embarked upon by the government.

The erstwhile governor, while appearing on the popular Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) network programme, One-On-One, said the people of the state should be grateful to him for taking the bold initiative. He said the loan was taken in the interest of the state, adding that the state had the shortest period of dry season.

While the dust was just settling over this issue, another allegation was raised that Sylva approved and paid $40 million to Bayelsa Oil Company and also approved substantial amount for the renovation of the yet-to-be completed 500-bed hospital. The allegation is Currently igniting tension in the state as its people are now at crossroads.

To douse the tension, Opuala-Charles and the state Commissioner for Energy, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, described the allegation as the handiwork of the detractors.

Chief Ikiogha said he wondered why such allegation was coming at a time the party was planning for the re-run election, adding that opposition parties were all out to tarnish the reputation of the former governor. He said, though Bayelsa Oil Company was a government initiative, it was not owned by the Bayelsa State government and that the money in question had not been made available. He said the company would be self-sustained. He said this was why he gave it the mandate to source for money from the private sector.

Buttressing the position of the energy commissioner, Opuala-Charles said the government only served as guarantor, submitting that the approval was only the usual guarantee by the government for banks to finance the company.

The establishment of BOC, according to Opuala-Charles, was the philosophy of the administration of the erstwhile governor to empower and provide opportunities for the people of Bayelsa State to participate in the highly lucrative oil and gas industry. He also said Sylva decided to finetune the framework establishing the company preparatory to the take-off of the government’s industrialisation plan.

He said to do otherwise would have jeopardised the windows of opportunities for the people of the state to participate in an industry they had long been denied, despite the enormous contributions of the state to national economic development.But with the present situation in the PDP, some analysts have expressed the opinion that the party may drop Sylva ahead of the election.

However, the party’s hierarchy is resolute as it maintained that Sylva remained PDP’s choice. The crisis is not restricted to the PDP as the AC is also embroiled in crisis. The party’s standardbearer, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, seemed to have parted ways with its executive council, though he keeps on assuring the people that all is well.

State chairman of the party, Diepreye Dede, has not been visible in some of the functions attended by the party’s governorship candidate in recent time. Besides, less than one month to the election date, Prince Amgbare is yet to announce publicly his running mate. It is no more news that he parted ways with his former running mate in 2007 over his decision to take legal action against the result of the 2007 election.

Also, another member of the party, Chief Denze Kentebe, recently said at a media briefing that he was the authentic candidate of the party for the governorship re-run. He even threatened to take the matter to court. But while reacting to this development, Angbare said some members of the party had been bought over by the PDP. He said he was not surprised that thngs were turning out that way. He, however, gave the assurance that normalcy would return to the fold before the conduct of the election.

As for the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), it may not field any candidate in the coming election as its standardbearer, Chief Bethel Amabebe, is yet to resign his appointment as the state Commissioner for Environment. With this development, it is surely going to be a straight battle between the PDP and the AC, except an unforseen development arises.