Indigenes of Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas of Bayelsa state have adopted Timipre Sylva of The APC as their preferred candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state as their son, irrespective of the disqualification of his candidacy by The Federal High Court, Abuja. It could be recalled that The Federal High Court siting in Abuja had disqualified Sylva from the race as he has been sworn in twice as the governor of the Oil Rich state.
Sylva who hails from Okpoama Kingdom in Brass LGA, had however appealed the ruling of the court.
The APC candidate’s kinsmen under the umbrella of Nembe APC Chiefs, made a declaration at a one-day conference held in Yenagoa, the state capital recently that the former Minister is their preferred candidate as there was no alternative to him. The attendees of the meeting numbering about 400 delegates drawn from 14 councils of chiefs in the Nembe and Brass council areas. According to the tradition of Nembe, The Council of Chiefs are the highest decision-making bodies in matters of Politics, Economy and Social life of the people.
In a communique read by Chief Yousuo Donald Theo-Iruo, The Chairman of the Opu-Nembe Council of Chiefs, he that it was apt for the Nembe ethnic nationality to make their position know as the gubernatorial election approaches. “Today, we are excited that this meeting has been successfully held. At a time like this, this is our usual practice.
First, we want to thank the Federal Government for giving us the opportunity to choose our leader again; to choose who should be our governor.
“And for us, we have deliberated and resolved today that the entire Nembe ethnic nationality across these local governments; that as the Conference of APC Chiefs in Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas we have decided to adopt, affirm, and endorse His Excellency, Timipre Marlin Sylva as the candidate of these two local governments.
“We have made this affirmation that we will go back to our communities where our councils are domiciled to ensure that Chief Timipre Sylva is elected. There is no alternative to Chief Timipre Sylva as far as these councils are concerned.” The monarch said. Chief Theo-Iruo said the people of Nembe are hopeful of being carried along by the former Minister if elected governor of the state.
READ ALSO: Federal High Court Disqualifies APC’s Sylva in Bayelsa Gubernatorial Race
“We also want to reaffirm our belief in Timipre, because having known him in his first tenure when he was governor we strongly believe that, for now, he is more experienced, exposed, connected, and we believe that he will take us to a Bayelsa of our dream where equity and fairness will be the hallmark of the people of Bayelsa.
“We strongly believe that Timipre has the right connections; he is the right person for the top job. “This is our affirmation. Today, we stand with Timipre as a governorship candidate come November 11. We want to see that we will be connected to the national through Timipre.
We cannot exist in isolation from the stream of national politics. And the only sure bet that will give us this status as a people is Timipre Sylva. This is our position and it is incontrovertible. This is our mission and we must work towards achieving it, and he is the candidate of the people.” Chief Theo Iruo said. The decision of the Chiefs was affirmed by a voice vote.
