By Lateef Adegbite
In spite of the fact that Syva Temipre, a former governor fof Bayelsa state, on the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, but now a member of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, had wanted to contest the February 25, 2023, Presidential election on the Platform of the party, but withdrew at the last minute from contesting the primary and returned to his office, he may have cast his eye to rule the former Pesident Goodluck Jonathan home state, for. a second term.
Although, he had said that he withdrew his Presidential ambition having ‘’ considered the enormous work in the ministry’’ which may not have been true, according to informed sources. Many believe that he has seen that he do not stand chance of clinching the party Presidential ticket if he dares pay the N100 million to buy the party Presidential Nomination and show of Interest Form because of the heavy weights in the race.
He may have looked and found out that he is no match to the likes of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, a former governor of Lagos state and the APC, National Leader, Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state and the minister of Transportation, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who are on the race.
Given that he could not make it at the national level may have informed why he was said to have finally settled down to contest Prof .Mahmud Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, organised governorship election of Bayelsa state on November 11, 2023. Indeed, he may have owned up that he has resigned his ministerial appointment when Bashir Ahmad, Special Assistant to the Nigerian President on Digital Communications revealed that he has tendered his resignation letter which has been approved by Presidnt Muhammadu Buhari to allow him pursue his governorship ambition inBayelsa. He was said to have resigned 30 days before, the party governorship primary stated for April 14, 2023, as required by the party national Leadership.
As a prelude to emerging the APC, governorship Candidate in Bayelsa state for the November 11, 2023, governorship election, Temipre, foot soldiers were said tohave been at work in the state to prepare the ground for him even before he resigned his ministerial position.
Temipre, who has been the Katsina state born Nigerian President minister of State, Petroleum Resources, since August,2019, may have started nursing his gubernatorial ambition in Bayelsa, state when it became obvious to him that as the juninior minister, he could not take decisions without the consent of Buhari, who is the minister of Petroleum Resources.
He may felt that the only way he could be involved in sharing the cake is to be the next governor of Bayelsa state, by winning the November 11, 2023, governorship election. As the governor of the state between May, 2008 –January 2012 , the bulks stops on his table but as a political appointee, the bulks stops on the President’s table.
As minister of state Petroleum Resources, Temipre, may have tried to be relevant in office by telling Nigerians that he knows what he is doing by disclosing the quantity of barrels of Crude oil lost by theNigerian government daily. He had said that the country loses 400,000b/d via oil theft. The ex-while minister of State, Petroleum Resources, who could not hide his feelings had escribed oil theft as a ‘’national emergency because the theft has grown wings and reached a very bad cresendo’’ but that was how far he could go.
This may have informed why he has no option but to declare his governorship ambition in Bayelsa state, on the ticket of the APC. Some of the Candidates on the race before him were said to have stepped down and threw their weight behind him, no sooner he showed interest on the governorship position of the state on the APC, Platform.
. But Joshua Maclver, Prof.(Mrs) Onoegbu Etebu , a former Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okekernko,Delta state, Mrs. Ikisimma Ogbomade, Festus Daumiebi, and David Lyon, a former elected APC governor of the state in 2019, who was sacked in 2020 ,by the Supreme Court, and replace by Senator Diri, the PDP, Candidate, who were also in the race were said to have refused to step down . The six contestants were said to have slugged it out at the party primary on April 14, 2023. Temipre, was said to have beaten his co-contestants, with the closest rivalry, Maclver polling 2,078 votes to his 52,061 votes.
In coming back a second time to contest for the governorship election of Bayelsa state after ruling for the first four years, the former minister of State, Petroleum Resources, may have cashed in on the major problem of the state which is flood to have promised ‘’to address the endemic flooding challenge if elected as the next governor of the state’’ in the upcoming election to win the heart of the people.
The good news about the APC, governorship primary was that the contestants have closed ranks as the losers have pledged’’ to support Temipre achieve his gubernatorial ambition in the state’’, on the November 11, 2023, election.
The former Bayelsa state governor, contesting the November 11, 2023, election on the ticket of the APC,may have Senator Douye Diri, the incumbent governor of the state on the ticket of the PDP, who had no other contestant in line with the party ule of the incumbent being entitled ‘’to the right of first refusal’’ to contend with and who has laudable achievements to show on ground.
The Ijaw Youth Development Council, IYC, may have sent a message to Temipre, the APC, governorship Candidate in the state that he has to work harder to unseat Diri, the PDP, Candidate, described a ‘’the beacon of hope for the Youths and the people of the Ijaw nation’’.
The group had said that the governor’s policy of ‘’continuity and inclusion’’ has been effective for ‘’the development of the state’’ over the last three years. They had sighted some of the achievements of the Diri’s Administration over the last three years to include the completion of the Bayelsa Health Insurance House in Yenagoa, the state Capital, the establishment of a Psychiatric and Mental Hospital and Rehabilitation centre in Ogbia and the upgrading of the state School of Nursing, School of Midwifery Science in Tombia to a Collegiate system in the state.
On the area of Infrastructure, IYC, had said that the Diri’s Administration has put the state on the part of ‘’irreversible development’’, with the number of road projects, both newly conceived and inherited one from past Administrations that had completed in the state. This is, in addition to the establishment of an International airport in Yenogoa, which was said to have been granted approval for Commercial flights by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCCA, on April 17, 2021.
Political Observers believe that Senator Diri, who is seeking re-election bid in Bayelsa , is using laudable achievements to intimidate his opponents ., telling them that there is no vacancy in the Bayelsa state Government House.
