The political tussle between the President of the Federal republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan and the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva may have not simmered. Available information obtained through sources close to the activities at the Presidency indicate that the President remains heavy hearted over the disagreements he had with the former Governor of Bayelsa State. The source states that the President remains unforgiving towards the former Governor and may have ordered security forces to arrest the former Governor as he shows up for court on Tuesday May 8, 2012 in Abuja.
Information available to 247ureports.com through a source close to the activities of Nigerian security operatives based in Bayelsa State reveal that a manhunt had previously been launched for the arrest of the former governor immediately following the Supreme Court ruling that his term as a governor had expired. The source added that the manhunt radii covered an area that stretched from Abuja to Bayelsa State and into the waterways that lead outside the country. The intent, according to the source, was to bring the former governor to “justice” on treason charge and to sentence him to death. The source however admitted that the former governor was tipped off of the pending manhunt dragnet before it was fully put in place – and the former governor was quick to escape the country to the shores of an unknown country. [But the former governor’s men have since denied that Timipre Sylva has left the country].
As a caveat, the President’s men had charged the former governor of having made threats to kill the President should he tamper with the gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa State – with the aim of removing him [Timipre Sylva] from the seat of Governorship. The charge was broadcast widely on the print and electronic media – and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] took the charge and launched an inquiry – of which the former governor was invited to provide answers to “closed door” questions. The outcome of the inquiry was never made public but the leadership of the PDP acted on the treason charge to deny the former governor the chance to join in the competition for the primary elections within the party.
Prior to the treason charge, the two Bayelsa political giants [Goodluck Jonathan and Timipre Sylva] have had steamy political disagreements that date back to the days when Chief Timipre Sylva vied for the office of governorship in 2007 – in replacement of the then out going governor of Bayelsa State, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Interesting to note, Timipre Sylva was not the choice of the then out going governor – to replace him. But through the kind intervention of the late President Yar’Adua [May His Soul Rest in Peace] the PDP governorship ticket was left for Timipre Sylva. And Timipre Sylva, for this, remained an avid advocate of Late President Yar’Adua.
Chief Timipre Sylva’s blind support for Late President Yar’Adua resulted in the further widening of the gap between him and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan – particularly during the ‘dark days’ of Late Yar’Adua’s presidency when it was not certain whether the president was alive or dead – and it was not certain whether the then vice president was the next in-line to take over power from the ailing president. During the aforementioned dark days, Timipre Sylva in tandem with other politicians sided heavily with the family of the late president – against the then vice president. And the President [Dr. Goodluck Jonathan] has remained bitter over Timipre Sylva’s role.
According to sources close to both Sylva and Jonathan, the two Bayelsa giants remained polite/friendily enemies. Both worked behind the scenes to scuttle the others plans and ambitions. The President was reportedly determined to remove Timipre Sylva from office and to publicly embarrass him. Timipre Sylva, on his part, worked tirelessly behind the scenes to wedge the President’s efforts. As it appears, the President gained the upper hand.
So as Tuesday May 8, 2012 comes around, the former governor of Bayelsa State is scheduled to appear in court to answer to charges of embezzlement brought fourth by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] at the federal high court Abuja. It is uncertain if the former governor will attend but what is near certain is the intention of the powers-that-be to arrest the former governor on treason charges – should he show up to court.
The calls placed to the State Security Services [SSS] based in Abuja and in Bayelsa did not yeild official responses. But un-official response stated that the former governor was a person of interest to them.
Stay tuned
