Ahead of the Bayelsa State governorship election, a major crack has occurred between the State Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Tiwei Orunimighe, and the party’s candidate, Timipre Sylva, over running mate.
Supporters of Orunimighe staged a protest on Tuesday at party’s secretariat in Yenagoa following speculations that Sylva, a former governor of the state, had picked another running mate instead of Orunimighe.
The protesters alleged that Sylva had reneged on his promise of running with Orunimighe, whom they claimed made it possible for Sylva to emerge as the candidate for the party at the primary election.
It was learnt that Sylva had allegedly picked a retired Principal, Wilberforce Igiri, from Orunimighe’s community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state to be his deputy.
The protesting supporters, drawn from wards and local government areas of the state, vowed to sink the party instead of allowing Sylva’s preferred choice.
The protesters, who destroyed Sylva’s billboards and posters in major places, insisted that if Sylva failed to run with Orunimighe, he should forget his ambition of running for the election slated for December 5.
The protesters, who shut down the state secretariat to prevent people from entering and coming out, maintained that Orunimighe had worked so hard for the party’s survival that he should be betrayed now.
Some of the placards carried by the protesters read, ‘Monkey work, monkey go chop’, ‘Tiwe Oruminighe is the choice of the grassroots, not anybody else’, ‘Why monkey work, bamboo wan chop’, ‘No Tiwe no Sylva’, ‘Sylva is an ingrate to pick somebody else’, among others.
Speaking During the protest, Chairman, Ward 11, Yenagoa LGA, Mr. Exodus Ebi, said by the protest, they were sending message to the party’s National leadership that Orunimighe remains their choice as running mate to Sylva.
He claimed that the party chairman had worked hard enough for the party that he should be compensated with the position.
Ebi said, “We want to tell the party’s National leadership that if Sylva turns down Tiwei Orunimighe as his deputy, we will work against his candidacy. We do not mind jumping into the ship of the opposition.
“Enough of this nonsense. Before the whole struggle began, Sylva had prepared the mind of the man that he would run with him. Now that he has emerged, he is giving flimsy reasons that Orunimighe is ambitious. What does he mean by that? Is there any man without ambition? Tiwe is our choice and anything to the contrary will not be accepted.”
Also, Chairman of all the Ward Chairmen in Bayelsa, Jephtha Ikure, said Orunimighe is the mandate of the party.
He said the demonstration was born out of injustice being meted out to the state Chairman.
Another protester, Okoro Magbisa, said the protest would not cease unless Sylva reverted to the original arrangement to run with Orunimighe.
Magbisa said, “Changing the rule of the game in the middle of the game cannot work. We are insisting that Sylva rescind his decision in the the interest of party unity, justice and fair play. Going to choose his running mate from a person who I don’t know whether he is a party member cannot work, except they do not want the APC to win this state. We are ready to defect to the opposition if this injustice is not corrected quickly.”
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