PDP’s Backdoor Election Tactics Won’t Succeed In Bayelsa Again – Timipre Sylva

Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the upcoming Bayelsa State gubernatorial election on November 11, firmly stated that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would not succeed with their backdoor election strategies in the state.

Sylva stated this while addressing newsmen at the State House, Abuja after receiving the APC flag from President Bola Tinubu to run for a second term.

He said that the legal challenges he faced, which led to his temporary disqualification from the election, will not hinder his campaign efforts, as he continued campaigning throughout the period.

He compared the situation in Bayelsa to a dog that has tasted blood, suggesting that once the opposition came through the back door to win, they are now inclined to use the same tactic regularly.

Sylva stated, “The problem in Bayelsa is like that of a dog that has tasted blood. They’ve come once behind through the back door so it has now become something they want to do all the time, they want to come through the back door.

“What does that signify? It signifies fear, they are afraid of the elections because as a government they have performed poorly and the only way they think they can stay in office is to come through the legal door, through which they came the last time. But I can assure you that they will not succeed.

“They tried it this past week and you saw it, it was a case of a meddlesome interloper, who had gone to court. Somebody we had to part in the contest, whose membership of APC was even questioned, taking me to court. And of course, you can see that was just part of the plan they had.

“But that has not deterred us at all, we did not stop campaigning, we decided to continue with our village-to-village campaign, house-to-house campaign. Today, even the PDP is aware that in a fair contest, they can never win that election. So if they brag on TV that they are going to win, they know they can never win this election”, he said.

In the other news, the APC’s Kogi State gubernatorial candidate, Usman Ododo, brushed off criticism about his family ties to the current governor, Yahaya Bello.

He mentioned that the fact they come from the same local government area doesn’t matter in the election.

Ododo said, “On the issue of whether I’m a cousin to His Excellency, well, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello is from Kogi State, I’m from Kogi State, we hail from the same local government, but different districts. We’re both from the Okene local government. He is from Okene 1, I’m from Okene II district.

“Even if I am his direct son, I think the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not in any way prohibit anyone to contest for any position as far as this country is concerned.”

Regarding the victory of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Appeal Court, Ododo said that it would not impact the gubernatorial election.

According to him, the PDP candidate senator Dino Melaye, the PDP candidate, claiming that his party would replicate the victory of Akpoti-Uduagan in the November 11 election, was simply an expression of fear.

He said, “Well the victory of Natasha does not in any way have any effect on Kogi gubernatorial election, come November 11, 2023. I think what he was saying was just the fear of defeat.

“I want to let you know I was born and brought up in Kogi State. I schooled in Kogi State, I have been in the service of Kogi State for over seven years as Auditor-General for Local Government, which brought me into close and direct contact with the people at the grassroots and financial level for development.

“As I am talking to you, APC in Kogi State doesn’t have any opposition. They are no match: What we are waiting for is the day for us to announce our victory, they know that.”

KanyiDaily recalls that Timipre Sylva, said the judiciary vindicated itself through the Court of Appeal’s reversal of his candidacy’s nullification.