Bayelsa Guber: Sylva, APC Chairman clash over selection of running mate

The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC Chief Timipre Sylva, and the party’s Chairman in Bayelsa State, Mr. Tiwe Oruminighe, are at each others’ throats over issues bordering on selection of running mate for the party’s governorship candidate.

Youths loyal to Tiwe stormed the party’s secretariat along Yeni-zuegene, Mbiama-Yenagoa today October 6 and destroyed billboards, banners, posters and other campaign materials of Sylva.

The angry youths are demanding that Tiwe must pair with Sylva in the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa.

The activities of the youths caused tension in the area and led to the deployment of armed policemen to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

The Secretariat was shut down temporarily to avoid possible invasion of the offices by aggrieved youths.

The Pro-Tiwe youths, who carried placards, said APC would cease to exist in the State if Sylva denied Tiwe the running mate slot.

One of the youths who identified himself as the Chairman of all Ward Chairmen, Mr. Jefta Ikuruel, said the protest was to warn the party against sidelining Tiwe.

He said Tiwe was the choice of the grassroots, insisting that without the Party Chairman as a running mate, Sylva and APC would not win the election.

Also, the Chairman of APC in Ward 11, Mr. Exodus Ebi, said Sylva was violating a sealed agreement that he would pick Tiwe as his running mate.

He said: “All the Ward Chairmen unanimously agree that Tiwe will be Sylva’s running mate. Tiwe is the only man that can reach the grassroots and it is because of him that we are making sacrifices. It is not because of Sylva. He should give us Tiwe.”

Speaking further, another ward Chairman, Okoro Magbisa, said Sylva should kiss the election good bye without Tiwe.

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