Bayelsa APC crisis deepens as gunmen abduct 103 yr-old mother of Sylva’s running mate

NEDU MARK, Yenagoa

Crises rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) camp in Bayelsa State took a twist, Thursday, as unknown gunmen reportedly abducted the 103 year-old mother of Elder Wilberforce Igiri, the running mate to the party’s flagbearer, Chief Timipre Sylva, with few weeks left to the Governorship Election in the state slated for December 5.

The gunmen, who allegedly shot sporadically to scare off passersby, whisked the old woman away from her home located at Foropa, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, early Thursday morning.

Witnesses say that following the abduction of his mother, Elder Willberforce has been ‘seen running from pillar to post seeking for the release of his aged mother.’

The abduction of the aged wowan has also created panic and tension in the camp of the APC because of the status of Igiri who is Timipre Sylva’s choice for running mate ahead of the December5 governorship election.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abduction of Igiri’s mother even as the state police command has not made any arrest on the incident.

Contacted for comment, Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Police Command, ASP Asinim Butswat, said the command is yet to be briefed on the kidnap of the woman.

However, prior to the abduction of Elder Igiri’s mother, the APC running mate was reportedly spotted at the police command on Wednesday at about 2pm with some of his loyalists.

The crises rocking the APC in the state has dominated political events in the state this month alone and began when violent clashes occurred at the APC Bayelsa State headquarters in Yenagoa, as over two hundred aggrieved youths loyal to the state party Chairman, Tiewi Oruminighe confronted the party’s flagbearer Sylva and his supporters over the choice of running mate for the poll.

Following the protests, the party secretariat had to be put under lock and key as loyalists to the party chairman, Tiwei Oruminighe tore up Sylva’s campaign posters.

Tiwei was reportedly promised by Timipre Sylva to be his running mate in the December 5 election, even as Sylva later picked one Wilberforce Igiri as his running mate.

The sudden change in the choice of running mate by Chief Timipre Sylva, reportedly angered the youths as it sparked off violence along Kpansaia and some streets of Yenagoa.

Igiri, is a former principal and a native of Foropa community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area while Orunimighe hails from Koluama community also in the same local government area.

The new Sylva running mate was described as a cool headed politician with the capacity to get the job done and boasts a humble disposition having been an administrator.

Already, a faction led by the state chairman of the party, Tiwe Oruminige, has threatened to mobilise support and ensure that his members vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Seriake Dickson in the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for December, 5 2015.

The faction had early this month in Yenagoa, protested the choice of a retired Permanent Secretary, Ogiri as a running mate to ex-governor Timipre Sylva.

In the protest that lasted for several hours at the APC secretariat along Mbiama/Yenagoa Road, they pulled down Sylva’s billboard, chanting war songs and calling for immediate replacement of Sylva’s running mate which was said to have been ratified by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

To further press home their demands, placards with various inscriptions were displayed during the protest.

Sensing the danger ahead, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC had to summon all parties to the dispute to a meeting in Abuja to address the issue but it was deadlocked as the two groups were not ready to shift ground.

A source at the meeting stated that representatives of the Tiwe led group accused Sylva of betraying his followers, adding that they supported him on his promise that he would pick Tiwe as his running mate.

The agreement was sealed before the APC primaries in Yenagoa.

Other governorship aspirants suffered similar fate as Sylva promised them governorship ticket before joining the party only for him to renege on the agreement.

A member of the group said that they have opened talks with the leadership of the PDP in Bayelsa state.

He said, “We are not ashamed of making what I will describe as progressive U-turn to the PDP. This is politics and it is all about interest. As at the time that we were leaving the PDP, we thought of better treatment in APC but it is the other way round.

“We are going to vote enmasse for the PDP even as members of APC. We are going to pay Sylva back in his own coin.

“Some of us have planned to make appearance at Governor Dickson’s campaign flag off on Saturday and there is no going back.APC and Sylva have failed us and we are saying no to impostor.”

Furthermore, Sylva, on his part, in a letter, called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to order the immediate arrest of the APC state chairman, Tiwe Oruminighe.

Recurring protests at the party secretariat, it was gathered, is the basis for the call for the arrest.

Oruminghe is believed to be the person behind the protests and Sylva has moved fast to put a stop to it.

According to a reliable source, Sylva’s request for the arrest of Oruminighe was contained in a letter to the IG, stating the repeated protests, destruction of properties at the party secretariat and the danger to public peace.

The party chairman was also accused of planning to further sponsor a mass protest against the candidature of Sylva, purportedly on the premise of anti-corruption protest to call for the former governor to be dropped as candidate.

Sylva has allegedly claimed in the letter that the planned protest was a plot to disturb the peace in the state

“What is playing out is normal in politics. Sylva is only engaging in power show. You recall Sylva promised Tiwe the deputy slot but why not fulfill his promise? So you can see that Tiwe is only protesting that action and it will surely continue no matter the call for arrest. His deadly boys, about 1000 armed boys, are slated for the planned protest and it will be difficult for anybody to stop it because of their leader, Tiwe,” a source disclosed.

Only last week, a chieftain of the party in the state, Chief Perekeme Kpodo, had called on President Muhammadu Buhari to allow Sylva, to face prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC).

Sylva, who was governor of the state for five years between 2007 to 2011 has already been in and out of the EFCC over financial offences allegedly committed while in office.

However, the EFCC had been unable to prosecute Sylva on the said offences because of what is believed to be his “solid connection” with some influential citizens in the Presidency.

Kpodo in the letter dated October 16, 2015,  Kpodo raised a lot of questions on Sylva’s case and its implications on the image and integrity of President Buhari and his administration in the war against corruption.

The APC chieftain who claimed that about N1.4trilion accrued to the state coffers during a five-year period under Sylva but without anything to show for such huge expenditure, said inability to prosecute Sylva based on “clear cases of corruption” will invariably justify the accusation that the Buhari administration is biased in its fight against corruption.

According to him, while leading figures in the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan were being prosecuted like the case of former Petroleum Minister, Diezeani Allison-Maduake in Britain, others like Sylva were being covered, stating further that the impression was being created that it is only the enemies or opponents of the APC-led federal government that could only be prosecuted for financial crimes offences.

He stated: “It is a known fact that Chief Timipre Sylva, who has been charged with barrage of criminal charges by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) is allowed, as usual, to walk with the flag of the party for the December 5 election despite protests. He was even accorded the position of Deputy Chairman of the Transition Committee of the present administration. Are we now robbing Peter to pay Paul? Is this not a game plan to discredit the hard work of your administration and the APC?

“How can a man that had over N1.4trillion accrued to his administration in five years and fail to justify the spending? Sylva had all the State monies from the Ecological fund, the Federal Allocation and many others, but yet left the state with huge debt profile. The issue of non-prosecution of Chief Timipre Sylva is being counted against your administration and the APC by the people.

“Many asked if the Anti-corruption posture of your administration is targeted to fight the enemies and the opposition under the last administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan or to protect friends hiding under the progressive status of the All Progressive Congress (APC)? And we agreed that though the fight against corruption is total as promised by you, the Sylva’s issue must be allowed to be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted by the EFCC”.

The party leader drew Buhari’s attention to a disturbing accusation that a powerful cabal was already existing in the Aso Villa which he said had been deciding those to face prosecution or otherwise. These power brokers, he noted, included the National Security Adviser to the President, the Secretary to the government of the federation, the Nigerian military and others he said were behind the covering of Timipre Sylva over prosecution.

“A cabal has been formed within the Presidency and providing embarrassing cover to some selected persons, including Chief Timipre Sylva. We are worried that they are deep in the corridors of your Presidency and have become known to the people.

“What we have continued to ask is why is this cabal protecting Timipre Sylva? Why are they not allowing him to be prosecuted? Why are they out to rubbishing you and the APC? Why did they rubbish the hard earned reputation of the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiohmole and the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun for the advancement of Chief Sylva? Is it meant to get power in Bayelsa and advance their shady oil interest? he asked.