"Dickson is embattled and desperate" - Sylva

Chief Timipre Sylva

Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Bayelsa State governorship election, Chief Timipre Sylva, has described the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Governor Seriake Dickson, as an embattled, desperate and divisive person.

The former governor, who was reacting to Dickson’s press conference on Monday where he referred to Sylva as a violent politician, spoke through the Director of Media and Publicity, Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, Chief Nathan Egba.

Dickson had said, “The party, the APC, is desperate. Their candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, is desperate. I hear they want to expand their empire across the Atlantic.

“Although Sylva is my friend and brother, I do not like his brand of politics of violence. I will roundly defeat him (Sylva) and the APC again and again.”

But Sylva, in his reaction, said even before he (Dickson) uttered the first sentence, anybody that was familiar with his public speeches since last year could guess fairly and accurately the things, if not the exact words he would use.

He said the governor had no other issue to discuss other than that Sylva and the APC perpetrated violence and used security agencies, the Presidency and other top federal officials to influence the outcome of the election.

Sylva stated, “In the same breadth, he is claiming an unassailable lead, according to him, having won in six out of seven local government areas results so far declared and that he has the total support of the people of the Southern Ijaw LGA.

“At this point, one really wonders why he is still embattled and running from pillar to post, holding press briefings and radio broadcasts almost on a daily basis. Why did he go to beg the Presidency to be allowed to win in the Southern Ijaw LGA in return for defecting to the APC?

“Bayelsa State has never had a more deceitful, dictatorial, wasteful and divisive governor such as Seriake Dickson, such that instead of campaigning on a pan-Bayelsa platform, Dickson has set about whipping up core-Ijaw and non-core-Ijaw ethnic sentiments within this small Bayelsa State.”

He said Dickson was not a democrat, rationalising that if he was, why did he stop the salaries of civil servants his officials alleged to have voted for the APC in the governorship election?

“Why would he, as a sitting governor, import into his own state gunmen from neighbouring states to cause mayhem? All in the bid to win election! Whereas, he knows the terrible security situation the state is facing under him,” Sylva asked.

He expressed optimism that there was still an opportunity to get rid of Dickson this Saturday, and put in place a more humane and uniting governor in his person.