• Sylva
Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State yesterday, stormed the state headquarters of the party in protest over the choice of a running mate for Chief Timipre Sylva, the party flagbearer in the December 5 governorship poll.
The protesters who were in their hundreds, mainly the supporters of the party State Chairman, Timipa Orunimighe, chanting anti-Sylva songs, destroyed billboards and barricaded the entrance to the party secretariat along the Mbiama-Yenagoa road, to bring to fore their protest over the choice of a retired Principal, Wilberforce Ikiri, over the party chairman, Timipa Orunimighe.
The protesters were angry that the campaign organization of Chief Timipre Sylva had secretly picked a retired principal and one-time governorship aspirant in the old Rivers State, Chief Wilberforce Ikiri as his running mate instead of the State Chairman, Timipa Orunimighe.
The angry protesters made up of ward chairmen and members from across the state, demanded that Timipa Orunimighe be nominated as running mate.
Wilberforce Ikiri, a retired principal is from Foropa community while Chief Timipa Orunimighe hails from Koluama community, both in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.
A close ally of Chief Timipre Sylva confirmed to National Mirror that the nomination of Chief Wilberforce Ikiri ahead of Timipa Orunimigha was decided upon due to the strong political message it carried.
He said, “the man is cool headed and a strong politician that can get the job done. He can interact with elders and the youths with a clear humble disposition. He will not be power drunk and he is a technocrat. Also he is a good administrator as a former Principal.”
However, the supporters of Orunimighe alleged that Sylva had reneged on his promise of running with Orunimighe, whom they claimed made it possible for Sylva to emerge as the candidate of the party at the primary election.
The protesting supporters, drawn from wards and local government areas of the state, vowed to sink the party instead of allowing Sylva’s preferred choice.
The protesters also insisted that if Sylva failed to run with Orunimighe, he should forget his ambition of running for the election slated for December 5.
They shut down the state secretariat to prevent people from entering and coming out, maintaining that Orunimighe had worked so hard for the party’s survival and wondered why he should be betrayed now.
Speaking during the protest, Chairman, Ward 11, Yenagoa LGA, Mr. Exodus Ebi, said by the protest, they were sending a message to the party’s National leadership that Orunimighe remains their choice as running mate to Sylva. He claimed that the party chairman had worked hard enough for the party that he should be compensated with the position.