Former deputy national publicity secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has said that the clearance of the party’s governorship candidate in Bayelsa state November 11 election, Timipre Sylva, by the Appeal Court, has foreclosed the era of using a backdoor to emerge as governor in the state.
Nabena, who is also the secretary of the Media and Publicity Committee of the State Gubernatorial Campaign Council, said this while reacting to the verdict of the appellant court clearing the immediate-past minister of state for petroleum resources to contest the governorship election in the state.
The court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, vacated the October 9, judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which disqualified Sylva from participating in the gubernatorial poll.
In a statement in Abuja, the APC leader said Governor Douye Diri cannot escape the judgement of the masses in Bayelsa state, “who have been badly affected by his bad governance in the last four years.”
According to him, the workers, pensioners and the traditional rulers Governor Diri refused to care about their welfare and will also speak loudly with their votes on November 11.
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Assured of victory, Nabena said the saying that “once beaten, twice shy” cannot repeat itself in Bayelsa.
He said: “Diri is not known to have ever won any election but always come through the back door to occupy the exalted seat against the popular mandate of the electorates.
“We are using this medium to tell Governor Diri and his cohort that there is no room for black market victory in this election. It is either you come clean or leave the race, but certainly no court will save Diri from heavy defeat this time around.
“History is not about to repeat itself because Governor Diri is not known for ever winning any clear electoral contest and the people of Bayelsa are tired of an accidental Governor.
“Our people are yearning for development, and our candidate’s agenda is not ambiguous. The experiences of our amiable candidate will surely be an added advantage, coupled with his link with the APC at the centre and the Renewed Hope Agenda. So, we promise to give the people of Bayelsa a new lease of life once we can chase away this government of inefficiency and wastefulness.”