Sylva’s Exit Alters Bayelsa Guber Race

By Emmanuel Aziken

Minutes after the ministerial list emerged on Tuesday, Senator Heineken Lokpbobiri sent a congratulatory message to Timiprie Sylva who is replacing him as Bayelsa State’s representative in the federal cabinet.

The move was seen by some as self-serving as it immediately removed Sylva from contention in the forthcoming governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The primary comes up in two months-time and Lokpobiri a one-time ally of Sylva was contending with Sylva for the ticket.

After he exited the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP about 2013, Sylva helped to establish the APC in Bayelsa State.

He drew several associates to him before and after the 2015 General Election. Lokpobiri was one of those who came in the later stage and was gifted the ministerial slot reportedly by Sylva who it was thought at that time could not have been appointed because of the corruption cases hanging around him at that time.

Those charges have since been dropped and Sylva had began to burnish himself to contest the governorship election due in November.

Lokpobiri had also set himself towards the same goal. Indeed he claimed he had told the president that he would not want to be part of the next cabinet as his eyes were focused on the Bayelsa governorship election.

Lokpobiri’s challenge, sources say, was also being backed by some party elders in Abuja who believed that Sylva cannot win the governorship election.

It is this school of thought that now believes that bringing him into the cabinet is one way of removing him from the contest and sharpening the APC’s arsenal to present a focused challenge against the PDP in November.

Lokpobiri said as much in his congratulatory message to Sylva.

“Congratulations Your Excellency on your appointment and I wish you the best of luck in your new position as Minister of the Federal Republic,” he said. He added that the appointment was well deserved.

Ahead of the ministerial nomination, Lokpbobiri had gone out of the way to dispel speculations of a cold war between him and Sylva.

When he picked his governorship form at the APC national headquarters last week, he said:

“I have no problem with Timipre Sylva. Sylva is a Bayelsan and Bayelsa leader just like we have other leaders here. I have no problem with him at all and I will never have a problem with him.

“I don’t have any personal problem with Sylva and I know he doesn’t have any problem with me.

“Few days ago, we were together and we had handshakes. But in politics particularly in the social media, you read a lot of stories. I believe that majority of the people in Bayelsa will support my candidature if I eventually emerge.”

However, the exit of Sylva does not mean an automatic ticket for Sylva for lying in wait for him is Preye Aganaba who is being backed by a powerful APC figure from the South-South.

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