Gov Duoye Diri

Gov of Bayelsa State Duoye Diri, has taken a swipe at All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Timipre Sylva, after he was disqualified from contesting during the November 11 election.

Diri, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and contesting for a second term, said Bayelsa needs honest and truthful people to lead it.

His reaction follows the nullification of Sylva’s candidacy as the state’s APC flag bearer by a High Court sitting in Abuja.

Recall that on Monday, a Federal High Court, in Abuja disqualified Sylva, from contesting as the APC candidate in the November 11 governorship election.

An aggrieved member of the APC in the state, Demesuoyefa Kolomo, had, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 asked the court to determine whether Sylva was qualified to contest in the election, having occupied the office of governor of Bayelsa from May 29, 2007 to April 15, 2008 and May 27, 2008 to Jan. 27, 2012.

Justice Donatus Okorowo, in his judgement, held that Sylva could not contest the election because he had been sworn in twice into office as governor of the state.

The judge said contesting again would be a breach of the provision of the 1999 constitution because if he won, he would spend more than eight years in power.

Reacting to this judgement, Diri, in a statement titled “Bayelsa Doesn’t Deserve Serial Deceiver As Governor” said Sylva, who is his major contender in the November 11 polls, can not be trusted.

The Bayelsa State governor, in the statement that was signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, said, “Bayelsa needs an honest and sincere leader that is focused on its development and not a man widely known for deception.

“Timipre Sylva is a man you cannot trust. He displaced all those he promised that he would give the governorship ticket and turned around to become the candidate himself. A man who said a road from Yenagoa to Nembe was not economically viable; a man who proposed an airport, but the site was turned into a ‘seaport’ after sinking in millions of naira of the state’s resources.

“When the immediate past governor built a very good airport, Sylva said it was a seaport, but today he uses the same airport.”

However, both Slyva and the APC have vowed to appeal the court’s judgement.