The fate of Governor Timipre Sylva remained uncertain on Wednesday as the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party cleared three additional aspirants for its November 19 governorship primaries in Bayelsa State.A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Rufai Alkali, on Wednesday, listed those freshly cleared as Doukpala Amaebi, Ekiyegha Korobido and Austin Febo.The statement was silent on the fate of Sylva who is yearning for a second-term ticket. He was screened out by the party on November 1 alongside the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr. Timi Alaibe.The statement reads in part, In continuation of the review of the reports of the Screening Committee and the Screening Appeal Panel for the governorship primaries in Bayelsa State, the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has approved the clearance of the second batch of aspirants to contest the primaries scheduled to take place on Saturday, 19th November, 2011, along with those earlier cleared.Those in the second batch of cleared aspirants are: Doukpala Francis Amaebi, Ekiyegha Fred Korobido and Austin Febo.The review exercise continues until all issues concerning all aspirants are successfully dealt with and disposed of.Those who made the first batch of the partys cleared aspirants were Oruta Boloubo, Henry Dickson, Christopher Fullpower and Kalango Michael Youppele.The PDP governorship primaries are scheduled to hold in Yenogoa, the state capital, on November 19.The Alkalis statement warned those it said had been peddling rumour that the national leadership of the party collected money from some unnamed aspirants to either desist from such acts or face disciplinary action.It said the warning became necessary in view of the mischievous and slanderous media reports accusing leaders of the party of collecting various sums of money from aspirants.The party appealed to its followers in the state to remain calm and focused and not allow any desperate political elements to cause division within their ranks.However, a former governorship aspirant of the PDP in Bayelsa, Mr. Hinks Dambo, on Wednesday filed a suit at the state High Court against the screening of aspirants for the 2012 governorship poll.Dambo participated in the partys primaries of January 12 for the aborted April governorship election in the state and lost to Sylva.In the suit before Justice Geoffrey Botei, the ex-aspirant is seeking an interlocutory injunction to restrain the PDP from conducting any election for the purpose of tendering or fielding a candidate for any governorship election in the state.Dambo listed only the PDP as the defendant in the suit. The party has however filed a counter-motion, asking the court to strike out the suit on the grounds that issues for determination were beyond the jurisdiction of the court.Meanwhile, as part of the efforts to put Sylvas name on the ballot by the PDP, governors elected on the platform of the party met with President Goodlcuk Jonathan at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday.The governors were led to the meeting by the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.Sylva was also part of the meeting.Details of the meeting were not known as at the time of going to press last night.
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