Following the
nullification of the All Progressives Congress [APC] Bayelsa state
gubernatorial primary election held in Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, Timi
Alaibe has withdrawn his candidature for Timipre Sylva.
"having
carefully examined the circumstances that have trailed the Governorship
primaries of our great party in Bayelsa state, I have come to the conclusion
that pushing my Governorship ambition beyond this point carries alongside it
some collateral consequences", Alaibe said in a statement made available
to Elombah.com.
Elombah.com
had reported that APC had on Monday ordered fresh Bayelsa gov primary,
following which the candidate that won the election, Timipre Sylva vowed to boycott the rescheduled
election.
National
Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said this at the end of the
party’s National Working Committee meeting in Abuja on Monday
One of
the contestants, Timi alaibe had asked APC to cancel primary claimed to have
been won by a former state governor and one of the aspirants, Timipre Sylva,
who had insisted that he won the primary conducted about a week ago.
The
primary was was said to have ended in a fiasco, after some hoodlums invaded the
Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, venue of the party election, conducted by the
Governor Adams Oshiomhole-led electoral committee.
Following
his defeat at the election, indications arose that Timi
Alaibe was set to join the Labour Party (LP) to realise his ambition.
A
source close to the former chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission, who
pleaded anonymity, said that Alaibe was disappointed by the outcome of the
governorship primary election conducted by the Adams Oshiomhole committee in
which former governor Timipre Sylva emerged winner.
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Alaibe
once had a relationship with the LP on which platform he tried unsuccessfully
to run in 2003.
He was
said to have complained bitterly about the process of the election which was
seen as “flawed, manipulated and unacceptable”, and as such he would have to
look elsewhere where he could possibly realize his governorship ambition.
Meanwhile,
it was gathered that Sylva has been reaching out to aggrieved members of the
APC in the state to work with him ahead of the election, assuring them that
“there is enough to go round” and as such they should not desert the party.
It was
also learnt that both Alaibe and Sylva have been summoned to Abuja by the APC
leadership in what was seen as a move towards a truce.
An
inside source in APC said that the invitation was at the instance of a national
leader of the APC to broker peace. The position of the APC national leadership
on the outcome of the election is still being awaited.
The
Samson Siasia Stadium venue of the governorship primary, was on Tuesday turned
to a battle field assupporters of two leading governorship aspirants, Timi
Alaibe and Timipre Sylva engaged themselves in violent clashes which
left scores, including Alaibe, injured.
"It
was a pathetic sight to see a political event reduced to a combat", said
an eye witness.
However,
Alaibe said today that "two options are available to me. Whereas I am
confident that I have the required support of my admirers and supporters as
well as the needed backing of Bayelsans to govern them, the hurdles set on the
way of this noble project are seemingly tempestuous and capable of overheating
the APC in Bayelsa."
Announcing
his withdrawal from the contest, the fourth time aspirant said "the
virtuous path to take is that virtuous one in which personal interest are
sacrificed for the common good,whether for the APC or the state in general.
This is the path I chose in the light of the prevailing circumstances. I
therefore withdraw from the governorship primary contest."
He
added that "this decision is taken in the interest of our party especially
as we face the task of the common challenge of unseating the PDP in the state
come December 5."
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