Bayelsa: Intrigues of fresh election

Timipre SylvaSoji Ajibola writes on the intrigues that characterised Bayelsa State in the aftermath of the Court of Appeal judgment that ordered a fresh governorship election in the state.

What could have turned out to be a remarkable feast was recently put on hold in Bayelsa State. No thanks to the Court of Appeal ruling that voided the election of Chief Timipre Sylva as the third governor of the oil-rich state. Politicians and members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), prior to the ruling, had the conviction that the judgment would be in their favour.

The Justice Haliru Abdulahi-led Election Petition Tribunal had on 27th November 2007, thrown out the petition filed by the Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, challenging the election of Sylva as governor. Amgbare had argued that there was no election in the state contrary to the submission of the Independent

National Electoral Commission (INEC), but the tribunal maintained that the argument could not be substantiated. Not satisfied with the ruling, the petitioner headed for the Appellate Court to seek redress. To members of the PDP, going to the Appeal Court was nothing but a waste of time but the court later proved them wrong. On the day of the ruling, politicians and other stakeholders in the state started moving to Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, as early as 5:00am to witness what they described as “the judgment of the year”.

Leading the PDP members were the former state deputy governor, Honourable Peremobowei Ebebi; the then Speaker and now Acting Governor of the state, Honourable Werinipre Seibarugu; and the state chairman of the PDP, Chief Rufus Abadi, while the former governor, Sylva, waited to receive them in Yenagoa. While the ruling lasted, tension gripped many people as they waited to know where the pendulum of victory would swing.

As politicians waited so were the ‘women oye’ with their ‘Aso ebi’ in readiness for the victory dance. Musicians were not also left out. However, the bubble eventually burst around 2:00pm when the court ordered for a fresh election to be conduct. It also directed that the Speaker be sworn in as Acting Governor. The situation could best be described as aborted pregnancy that deprived the mother the joy of delivery. The ‘Egele’ dance, expected to start right from Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, was terminated, while many people inside the court were glued to their seats. In Yenagoa, the situation was the same, as the then governor could not believe the news until his deputy confirmed it. Sylva eventually took the judgment in good faith, saying “men have done their bit; I leave everything to God to judge.”

Sounding optimistic of his return to power, he told the people not to entertain any fear, urging them to cooperate with the Acting Governor, Seibarugu, in piloting the affairs of the state. Sylva ensured that the acting governor was sworn in before he left the state. When some people attempted to take advantage of the situation, he stood his ground. The chopper meant to convey him and members of his family was deployed to Port Harcourt, hastening the process of getting a certified copy of the Appeal Court.

Prior to this, there was a rumour that the Speaker would not be sworn in as acting governor due to internal wrangling among members of the state House of Assembly. A faction of the Assembly claimed to have impeached the Speaker over what it described as gross misconduct. To further confirm its position, a statement signed by Honourable Ebiotu Seleketimiebi stated that the Speaker was impeached for alleged misconduct. Also, it was disclosed that another Speaker in person of Ebiotu had been elected. With this development, political watchers were at crossroads over who among the two speakers would be sworn in as acting governor. The swearing-in ceremony expected to take place immediately after the court judgment could not hold, thus aggravating tension in the state. Also, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kate Abiri, had to be flown in from Abuja on Wednesday for her first official assignment. Her arrival rekindled the hope of the people but the ceremony had to be delayed as he insisted on getting the true certified copy of the judgment.

The likes of Maxwell Oko and others took the responsibility upon themselves as they shuttled between Bayelsa and Rivers states to ensure that the state was not stagnated. The swearing-in eventually took place around 4:30pm with the acting governor in his acceptance speech promising that he would not discriminate against anybody. He added that he would carry all the people along at ensuring both the economic and political transformation of the state. “I, therefore, call on all stakeholders in the Bayelsa project to rally round this interim administration to ensure that there is peace and stability in the state,” he said.

He also assured the political class that his administration would assist INEC in creating a level playing field for all political parties in the re-scheduled governorship election. After his inaugural address, he escorted his predecessor to the waiting chopper. Sylva kept on assuring the people of the state that he was only on vacation and would come back at the end of the vacation. However, members of the political class are skeptical about the situation, especially the issues of a N60bn loan, factions in both the state chapter of the PDP and the state House of Assembly as well as the alleged face-off between Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan and Sylva.

On the N60bn loan Sylva allegedly took without the approval of the state House of Assembly and the Due Process Bureau, the AC in a statement deposed to by its secretary, Comrade Miriki Ebikibina, called on the state government to explain the rationale behind its decision to take the loan from five banks when the state got a monthly allocation from the Federal Government. Responding to this allegation, the state Commissioner for Finance, Sylva Opuala Charles, said the loan was taken to finance the N40bn deficit in its budget. He added that the loan would help in the speedy completion of the developmental projects embarked upon by the government. Corroborating this position, Sylva, while featuring on One-on-One, a programme of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), said the decision even to take the loan was in good faith, submitting that the state had the shortest period of dry season from December to March. Hence, for development to take place, drastic measures had to be taken.

The factions in the state chapter of the party have indirectly pitted the erstwhile governor against the Vice President, as the decision taken during the stakeholders meeting which had in attendance the likes the vice president and Chief Larry Koinyan concerning the leadership of the party and the state House of Assembly were said to be upturned by the former governor. The decision includes the extension of the tenure of Chief Fred Agbedi-led Executive Committee of the party and the nullification of impeachment and suspension of some lawmakers in the state. Though the former governor was not around during this period, his greatest undoing was said to be the inauguration of what political pundits described as a factional executive council. Also, he was said to have taken sides with a faction of the state House of Assembly. His relationship with the Vice President, even though he has denied it at different fora, is still not cordial.

Sensing the danger the development portends for the success of the party in the re-run election, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, in its efforts to broker peace, convened a stakeholders meeting in the state even though other factions of the party were not represented at the meeting. This development made the people to doubt the ingenuity of the meeting. Leading the delegate, the National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, called on the members of the party to bury the hatchet and work for the success of the party in the forthcoming election. He also endorsed Sylva as the party’s governorship candidate for the rescheduled election.

His endorsement drew a round of applause but the game is not over until it is over. There is need for PDP to put its house in order, though its members claim Bayelsa is a one-party state.