We shall reclaim our mandate in Bayelsa – Sylva

Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The Minister of State for Petroluem and former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva has expressed optimism that  governorship mandate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State will be restored.

He also apologised to President Muhammadu Buhari “over the avoidable disruption to his busy schedule which was caused by the events of the moment.”

Sylva the leader of the APC in Bayelsa in his first public statement on the Supreme Court ruling which sacked the APC governor-elect, Chief David Lyon and the deputy-governor elect, Senator Degi Biobarakuma Eremienyo called on Bayelsans “to kindly shun all acts of violence and lawlessness.”

While noting that the events in the state could be provocative, he cautioned against people taking the laws into their own hands which could destabilise the state and the Niger Delta region.

According to him the leadership of the party has directed its legal team to explore every legal MEANS to reverse the setback the party had suffered.

The statement read in part: “I am aware that Mr. President and his lovely wife Her Excellency Aisha Buhari had concluded arrangements to travel to Bayelsa to witness the inauguration of the APC governorship candidate as the governor of Bayelsa State. I therefore extend my apology to Mr. President and members of his entourage.

To the good people of Bayelsa state, I would like to emphasize the need for restraint at all times. No doubt the events of the last few days are as provocative as they are regrettable. But tempting it might be for anyone to take the laws into their hands, such temptation must be resisted in the greater interest of our state and the political stability of the country at large.

“The leadership of our great party, the All Progresives Congress (APC) has directed its team of legal experts to study the situation critically and proffer legal options available to the party accordingly. We should therefore all remain faithful to, and have confidence in, the wisdom and ability of the party leadership to provide direction at this very sensitive time.

“Once again I call on all people of Bayelsa state irrespective of whatever differences there may be to eschew violence and respect the security measures put in place by appropriate authorities. Let me conclude by assuring Mr. President and our party hierarchy that despite this temporary setback, APC in Bayelsa remains strong and its members resolute in our support for the ideals of a greater and prosperous Nigeria as envisioned by our President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari. The mandate will be restored and that dream of a better, greater Bayelsa State will be actualized.”