allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Re-Run Alters Bayelsa Politics (Page 1 of 1)

A few days before the scheduled re-run governorship election of Bayelsa State, the serenity of the state has waned. While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to have overcome its own internal squabble, a new wave of crises has erupted in the Action Congress (AC), threatening the chances of the party at the election. Segun James writes

Last month, the Court of Appeal sitting in Port-Harcourt nullified the election of Mr.Timpre Sylva as the governor of Bayelsa State on account of election irregularities and simultaneously ordered that the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Werinipre Seibarugu, be sworn in as the Acting Governor.

Besides, the Appellate Court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct another governorship election in the state within 90 days.

Accordingly, the electoral body, in compliance with the court order, has fixed May 24, 2008 for the re-run election. The annulment of Sylva's election was the fall out of the petition filed by the candidate of the Action Congress (AC) in the last April 14, 2007 governorship election in the state, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, alleging that Sylva's election violated the 2006 Electoral Act.

However, as soon as the court's pronouncement was made, politicians in the state swung into political intrigues in a bid to outwit one another. The intrigue was started by some loyalists of the former governor who did not want Seibarugu to ascend the stage as the acting governor on the suspicion that he was not loyal to Sylva and hence, might scuttle Sylva's come back bid. And in a bid to frustrate Seibarugu, an arrangement was quickly made to impeach the speaker, allegedly spearheaded by Sylva's former Political Adviser, Dr. George Allen Fente. The crisis left the state without a chief executive for 24 hours until the intervention of President Umaru Yar'Adua who ordered that Seibarugu be sworn in, in accordance with the court order.

The bid to deny the Speaker his constitutional duty was said to be an offshoot of the strain relationship between Sylva and his former mentor, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan. Supporters of the Vice President had preferred one of his loyalists to become the acting governor in a bid to pay back the former governor for his acts of disloyalty to the Vice President. However, the crisis was nipped in the bud through the intervention of the Presidency.

But while the intrigues between the two camps lasted, Jonathan debunked the rumour of any strain relationship between him and Sylva. And to affirm this, he promised to lead the campaign to re-capture Bayelsa State for Sylva and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Therefore, with the seeming resolution of the crisis, the stage appeared set for a straight battle between PDP and AC in the battle for supremacy between the two parties. However, two weeks to the election, crisis has hit the camp of the AC. And with the intensity of the crisis, unless it is quickly tackled, it may constitute an impediment to the party's desperation to rule Bayelsa State.

If the current trend in AC persists, Amgbare may have to run the election alone without the support of his party, because leaders of the party in Bayelsa State had disowned him and his candidacy. To this end, Amgbare is at war with the leadership of the party.

The crisis rocking AC took off when the party leaders in the state accused Amgbare of abandoning the party after the court judgement and going ahead to run a one-man party. He was specifically accused of abandoning the party and sidelining the party leadership in the scheme of things.

The crack in AC, however, came into public knowledge when Ambgare flagged off his campaign at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) press center in Ekeki, Yenagoa. The event was poorly attended by AC members. None of the members of the state executive council of the party showed up at the campaign venue, a situation which gave a clear indication that all was not well in the AC. Embarrassed by the turn of events, Ambgare accused AC leaders in the state of selling out to the PDP.

He was particularly hard on the state chairman, Hon. Diepreye Dede and its secretary; Ebikibina Miriki whose action, he alleged, was a betrayal of the course of the people of Bayelsa State and the party.

However, the leadership of the party fired back, accusing Amgbare of engaging in political arrogance and disrespect for leaders of the party.

In a swift reaction, the party said Amgbare had continued to portray himself as one tree which can comfortably make a forest. " The party was neither involved (in his campaign), formally informed, nor a meeting held between the governorship candidate and members of the state executive, with respect to the meeting held to flag off the campaign of Prince Ebitimi Amgbare. Besides, he neither consulted with any of the said party executives on any issue, nor has he participated in any party activities, including meetings called by the state executive."

The party further said: "These dangerous and frivolous allegations are damaging and misleading. It is sad and most unfortunate that the only appreciation for the effort and hard work of the state executives through the turbulent and trying period of the party, was to rubbish the steadfastness of the state executives with frivolous and unfounded allegations, by any persons or group of persons, whose agenda we are yet to identify. It is saddened that such unfounded allegations are coming at a time the party should be preparing and strategizing for the forthcoming election. "

The party also warned Amgbare that it would not tolerate any act of insubordination that would undermine the authority of the state executives.

"Candidates are to work in concert with the directives of the state executive, as it is being done both at the national and state levels and not to be seen to be above the leadership of the party."

But realizing the implication of the internal opposition to his ambition, Amgbare had proceeded to the Federal High Court, to compel INEC to shift the election date. This he did to enable him secure enough time to amend the cracked wall of his party before going to the poll. The AC candidate also dragged the acting governor to court, seeking an order to compel Seibaragu to sack all the commissioners he inherited from the former governor.

Besides, he also prayed for an order compelling the acting governor to dissolve the 24 area development councils constituted by Sylva few days before his sack. However, as the election day sdraws nearer, unless AC, the main opposition party in the state, put its house in order, Sylva may return to the throne without much sweat

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