The Peoples Democratic Party Governorship Campaign Council in Bayelsa State has urged Chief Timipre Sylva, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11 gubernatorial election, to honorably step down from the race to avoid the embarrassment that awaits him.
Speaking during the party’s Sagbama Local Government Area Constituency 3 rally at Agbere community in continuation of Governor Douye Diri’s re-election campaigns, Mitema Obordor, the Director-General of the campaign council, gave the advice.
Obordor, who is also the House of Representatives member for the Ogbia Federal Constituency, said, unlike the PDP ticket of Governor Douye Diri and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, across the state, Sylva does not enjoy any level of acceptance, which he claimed was an indicator of his impending defeat.
He said, “Let me begin my remarks with a call on Timipre Sylva to toe the part of honor and step down from this election.
“There are reasons I say this. The first is that for you to govern a state, you must be seen to be an honest person. You cannot say a thing today and turn 180 degrees tomorrow to do a different thing.
“The same man spoke publicly that the chapter of contesting for governorship was over in his life. So that man is dishonest as far as I am concerned.”
Earlier, Governor Douye Diri inaugurated a 3-kilometer concrete link road constructed in the Odoni community and a newly-built cottage hospital in the neighboring Agbere community.
At Tungbo, the governor thanked the people for always supporting the PDP to emerge victorious and implored them not to relent on November 11.
At Trofani, the governor inaugurated a 17-kilometer, 33-kV overhead transmission line and substation done by the state government. He said for about 12 years, the community had been in darkness before the state government intervened.
He promised the people more development in their community, noting that his government will continue to implement people-oriented projects.
The campaign trail also made brief stops at Osekwenike, Asamabiri, and Osifo communities, and Governor Duoye Diri promised that the completion of the Sampou-Asamabiri road, which was initiated by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), would be his priority in partnership with the commission when re-elected into office.
He commended the people for their peaceful disposition and advised them to keep the PDP flag flying as they had always done in every electioneering calendar.
Also speaking, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the Deputy Governor, thanked the people of the constituency for transforming the campaign into a carnival, which showed the PDP’s wide acceptance in the local government.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo criticized the All Progressive Congress (APC) for placing a convict as Sylva’s running mate, which has placed their ticket on a tightrope, apart from Sylva’s constitutional issue of tenure.
He called on the APC not to waste their energy and resources on the accumulation of arms and trying to compromise the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, all in a bid to rig the election, noting that the people of Bayelsa have already decided to deliver to the PDP bulk votes.