AFTER all the twists and turns of the PDP's power play, the big news from Abuja concerning the build up to the 2012 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State is the non-clearance of the incumbent PDP Governor of the State,Chief Timipreye Sylva, to participate in the primaries that would produce the candidate to fly the party's flag. He is not the only casualty of the political rigmarole; he finds good company in the show-biz impresario, Mr. Ben Murray- Bruce, the man who presides over the eminently successful Silverbird Group and who, to the consternation of not a few, sought to govern a state he has been least associated with all his life. No doubt, Bruce is a known name, a solid and respectable personality in the social and business worlds but unfortunately, he has been portrayed as paper weight in politics. Sylva's other co-traveller is Mr. Timi Alaibe, an otherwise fortunate establishment man who acquired relevance through the grace of his pivotal appointment into the NDDC and fortuitously survived all his erstwhile bosses, to rise to the pinnacle in the commission through his sheer dexterity in boardroom politics. In party politics, he has been needlessly flirtatious. The PDP did not deem any of these gentlemen sufficiently qualified to pursue further their quests to govern Bayelsa State. For Sylva, it is a big deal that an incumbent governor is not deemed qualified to even vie for the opportunity to advance his second term bid. My heart sincerely goes to him in this moment of his travails. It is a deadly political blow, a devastating rejection of no mean proportion that will stick with him for the remaining years of his earthly existence.But Sylva is not without a company in Nigeria's political scene. He now joins the likes of Dr. Clement Mbadinuju, the governor on the platform of the PDP in Anambra State and Alhajy Malla Kachalla on the platform of the ANPP in Borno State. They were both denied a second term ticket of their political parties. In 2003, Mbadinuju was considered so notorious and unpopular by the party lords in Abuja and was considered not worthy of the party's ticket. He was stopped. The same year, the ANPP denied Kachalla the second term ticket. His major backer, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff offered himself for governorship election instead, after satisfying himself that a single term was enough for Kachalla. Mbadinuju and Kachalla, not satisfied with a one-term, individually, sought solaces under alternative platform and obtained the ticket of the AD, the forerunner of ACN, to test their popularity with the electorate. The electorate rejected them at the polls. Renowned for accepting the gubernatorial rejects of PDP, it is doubtful if the ACN will have any scruples in accepting Sylva, should he make the approach. But I have my doubts if Sylva would take the risky path of journeying with the ACN in an evidently PDP state.With consummate bravado, Sylva had brandished a provisional clearance when he launched a premature second term campaign last Saturday. He had rallied the Senators, House of Representatives members from the state for backing. The members of the State House of Assembly and the Local Government Chairmen and Councilors were all there. The ubiquitous market women and the youth were also there in their numbers. Then came the bang. The party announced his disqualification the following day, Sunday. According to some media narratives, his non-clearance was predicated on an alleged security report linking him to some criminal plots. Too bad. Pray, he does not go through the type of experience of Mbadinuju went through, as he faced criminal charges, after his gubernatorial woes. Now, Sylva wants the intervention of INEC to accept him for the 2012 gubernatorial contest on the strength of his January 2011 PDP party nomination which was duly submitted to INEC. Was he not aware of this earlier nomination when he submitted himself to the same PDP's process for a fresh nomination' To me, this is an evidence of warped thinking; the logic of a man who has driven his car so furiously in a manner that led to a crash. Now, the same man is searching the wreckage of the car so as to apply the brakes. Sylva has been too much of a desperado in politics. He needs to take it easy in his own interest and abide by his party's decision. But if he is very sure of his acceptance by the electorate of Bayelsa as he claims, then he should urgently seek an alternative platform to actualise his dreams.
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