Again, Jonathan rejects govs' appeal for Sylva

Another effort by state governors to convince President Goodluck Jonathan to pardon embattled Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State may have hit a brick wall yesterday as the president remained resolute.Eight state governors led by the Chairman of the Governors' Forum, River State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday morning escorted Sylva to a ceasefire meeting with the president at the First Lady Wing of the State House, Abuja, but the meeting, which lasted for an hour, failed to reach a compromise.A source said the meeting was a last ditch effort by the governors to convince the President to reconsider his stance on Sylva and allow him to pick the Bayelsa State governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).The ticket had already been won by Seriake Dickson, who is believed to be the candidate of Jonathan.The push came a day after the president had commended the national leadership of the PDP for excluding Sylva in the governorship race.The visibly angry governors, stormed out of the meeting at about 11 am and when they were confronted by newsmen, they all declined to speak on the outcome of meeting. Sylva said that only Amaechi was authorised to speak on the outcome of the meeting.He said, 'My chairman (Amaechi) will speak to you. I think my chairman will tell you that (about Bayelsa). He is the only one authorized to talk to you. Chairman of the Governors' Forum will talk to you.'However, when newsmen confronted Amaechi for his response, he said, 'Don't I have right to visit the President' I am here to see the President about Rivers State and my counterparts came to see the President on their own state matters.'Asked whether Sylva's issues were discussed at the meeting, he said, 'I'm not aware of that. Don't interview me because I don't know what you are talking about.'Present at the meeting were governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Jonah Jang of Plateau, Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna, Liyel Imoke of Cross River, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, and Sa'idu Nasamu Dakingari of Kebbi State.
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