SYLVA THREATENS TO DRAG INEC TO COURT OVER ELCTORAL FRAUD

Chief Timipre Sylva

The former governor of Bayelsa State and APC candidate for the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva has declared that he will drag the electoral body, INEC to court for what he described as the unlawful manner the election was conducted and for declaring a candidate as winner.
Chief Sylva who described the development as flagrant disobedience to the electoral laws, which provides that, where  outstanding votes were higher or above the votes of a leading candidate, such an election becomes inconclusive by law because of the outstanding higher votes, contented that the declaration Dickson or the PDP was an act of impunity and lawlessness.
Chief Sylva had said that when he saw the Resident Electoral Commissioner [REC] and the State Administrative Officer of INEC of Bayelsa, he identified them as the very ones posted or deployed by the President Jonathan led PDP government to rig the 2015 presidential election to favour Goodluck Jonathan, and who gave him near 100 percent of the presidential votes cast.
According to him, when he noticed that, they were the same persons going to conduct the governorship election in Bayelsa, he raised an alarm that they should redeployed and neutral persons that had no partisan interest be brought to replace them to conduct the election, but INEC refused to act on the alarm he raised.  He went further and committed his protest to writing; and the petition too was ignored, Chief Sylva explained.
The APC governorship candidate said he had no other alternative than to continue in the race since he could not pull out of it, because of their conspiracy with the PDP.
He described the REC and the Admin. Secretary of the INEC in Bayelsa State as "rigging machine for the PDP", and that rigging started from the distribution of materials, where electoral materials were diverted  to unknown destinations instead of to the polling centers or units.
Addressing Journalists in Yenagoa, Chief Sylva said the declaration of a winner in an inconclusive election was unconstitutional. and therefore unacceptable to him and his Party, the APC.
He called on all members of the APC and his supporters in the state to remain calm while assuring them that INEC will be dragged to court to restore the wrongly cancelled votes that gave a clear victory to the APC against the PDP
Meanwhile the governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson has commended INEC for doing a good job and the people of the state for giving him the support, while assuring that those who perpetrated violence at the election shall be brought to justice..

GOD WILL JUDGE GREEDY LEADERS-CHIEF TUBONAH

Chief Otonye Evans Tubonah

The Publisher of Golden Pen Newspaper, Chief Otonye Evans Tubonah has said that God will punish greedy leaders except they repent. In life, there is always the hand of God Almighty, and no man can beat his/her chest to say I am this or I am that, because it takes the grace and mercy of God for man to live and become. "We are living by the grace and mercy of God", he said.
Speaking to newsmen in Yenagoa in an interview, Chief Tubonah stated that its all about what God wants to do with man and not what man would want to do on his own, outside the will of God.
According to him, he had always preferred to hear from God than what people say except, if what the people are saying agrees with what God is also saying on any issue.
Chief Evans Tubonah, who is also the Founder/President of the World Prosperity Organization, observed with concern that people have become  so mundane that amassing wealth by all means, has been thought of as making progress in life or prospering.
It is in that light, he went on to say that, some of those privileged in our societies to 'shepherd the sheep', make mistake by considering themselves as not servants but lords.
Such attitude does not please the owner of the project, the owner of all things, the owner of the world and the universe who equally own them that were or are privileged to be in those high offices and positions, he emphasized. Hear him:-
"It is the will of God for man to be a servant to man, and every man, woman is made for service, and no matter what position man occupies the main objective was and is service. In a country, the highest office is the presidency, and it is a fact that the president has an office where he goes to work, he serves the masses, so do the governors of states, chairmen of local councils and whatever constituted authority, and institutions were established for service. And that goes to the ordinary man in the street: the carpenter, the driver, the market woman the electrician, the mason, the office messenger, the laborer etc. all exist for service.  "
"But today, those who seek high offices and were favored by Heaven to occupy such high positions  fail to realize that God watches over their activities."
He therefore called on leaders not to think that the 'sheep' they were or are entrusted to 'shepherd' were or are nonentities, emphasizing that God loves his 'sheep' and can do anything for their sake.
Prophet Ezekiel said this:-
''As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely, because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flocks. Therefore, O ye shepherds hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to stop from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat to them.'' Ezzekiel 34:8-10
Chief Evans Tubonah explained that to that extent the Lord GOD cares for his flock; especially the  prosperity of  the flock. One thing which the Founder/President of World Prosperity identified as the cause of poverty of individuals, organizations or governments, is deprivation of the rights of the flock, the laborer, the civil servant, the contractor, the business man/woman, trampling on the rights of the elderly by denying them their financial rights, denying students of their rights to education etc. by withholding payment of money meant for the people.
He quoted Prophet Moses as saying in the book of Deutronomy 24:14-15:
''Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy.... At his day, thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it....lest he cry against thee unto the LORD and it be sin against thee.''
He also called on those in privileged positions not to lose sight of what Prophet Jeremiah said in Chapter 22:13 of his book reads:-
 ''Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbor's service without wages and giveth him not for his work.''
He warned the privileged not to take for granted that they could act in impunity against the flock, emphasizing that  God will not hold blameless those who contravene his laws.

HOW OBUEBITE LIED AGAINST GOLDEN PEN, CALLS HIM APC DELEGATE

You may call it a drama, but not when a former honorable member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Mr. Jonathan Obuebite stood up in the presence of the Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, the Deputy Governor, Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah Rtd., the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kombowei Benson Friday, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Allison Oguru, and other very important key officers of the Restoration Administration, amongst whom were Rt. Hon. Talford Ongolo, the Chief of Staff Government House, Hon. Fyneman Wilson, Special Adviser to the Governor on Political matters, Chief Fred Agbedi, the Director General of Dickson for Governor Contunuity Campaign Organization, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Dan Kikile Esueme, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso and Mr. Jonathan Obuebite himself, that is the head of the media in the said  Campaign Organization and others. Those other important government officials not mentioned should not take it as a slight, please.

It was on the 2nd of October, yesterday, when some Organizations were called to a meeting with the Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Dickson. The first to attend, was his administration's transparency briefing, and another meeting with media groups . It was a long period of waiting before it came to the turn of the Bayelsa Federated Newspaper Publishers Association [BAFENPA], of which I, the Publisher of the Golden Pen Newspaper am a member to enter the Executive Chamber to meet with the governor.

As we got into the chamber, and were seated and as the governor started to speak, Mr. Jonathan suddenly jumped up to the center of the floor and said; "Your Excellency, before this meeting could go on, the Publisher of Golden Pen Newspaper, Chief Evans Tubonah must go out." Everybody, including the governor were surprised at the outburst of the former Nembe Constituency 1, Lawmaker.

When asked why?, he said: 'because,  the Publisher of Golden Pen is a delegate of the APC." 

Then I knew that the former lawmaker is a pathological liar, a dangerous liar who can do anything to propel his political cause. I, challenged, Mr. Obuebite and called him a liar, I said to him, 'you are a liar, I was not APC delegate." At that point, the SSA Media, Mr. Alfred Egbegi was coming to excuse me out of the chamber when the governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson waded in and  said, NO!, I should stay, after saying: 'Yes!, I have been reading their papers, I read a lot of them, yes, Golden Pen has been too critical, but they should try and balance their reports in subsequent publications, his being here will spoil nothing, let him stay."  With that outing by the governor, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite was disappointed, in his evil plan to use his privileges to undo me. For that, Golden Pen and[BAFENPA] thank the governor for uprightness, as a Lawyer knowing that in practical democracy and in line with our Constitution, Mr. Obuebite's accusation does not translate to my guilt.

After, that distraction by Mr. Obuebite, we had a peaceful deliberation with the governor.

The Chairman of the Bayelsa Federated Newspaper Publishers Association [BAFENPA], Mr. Ayebaitari Easterday  led the delegation of the Publishers, who are the opinion leaders of the state.

Golden Pen however gathered that there was another man who instigated Obuebite to embark on the negative adventure to embarrass the Publisher in particular and the Association in General.

It is however important and indeed, very important, to tell the public the truth, that I was at the APC Governorship Primaries held at the APC Secretariat in the State, to cover the event on behalf of my medium, the Golden Pen Newspaper. It was not only Golden Pen that attended the event, but almost all media houses, from electronic, to print, and social media were all there, and all those of the media, including myself had our media tags on us, as our identity. No Journalist wearing the media accreditation tag was also a delegate, neither was I, therefore what Mr. Obuebite said of Golden Pen is a Big Lie.

 

 

 

  

PDP FORMER CHAIRMAN DIES AFTER DEFECTION TO APC

The former Chairman of the Bayelsa State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, Col. Sam Inokoba has died according to information from reliable sources, who spoke to Golden Pen from Abuja.
Col. Inokoba had been in the eye of the politically, in the PDP following his suspension from the party on allegation of financial frauds connected to the presidential campaign of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential elections, which Jonathan lost out and gallantly handed over power to Buhari of the APC.
There were litigations, and political scheming between Inokoba's faction of the party and that of Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff until he defected to the APC in a Mega Rally with his supporters on the 16th of last month, just sixteen days ago.
Col. Inokoba's death came as a surprise to the people of Bayelsa State, the cause of the death is not yet known.  

EFCC BOSS TO COUGH OUT 2.05 trilion

The Chairman of the EFCC, Abrahim Lormode has been dragged before the Senate committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on allegations of diverting recovered loots to himself and relations.
In a strongly worded petition filed  against the anti-graft body by  George Uboh, stated the EFCC boss, Mr. Lamorde has been in the business of diverting some of the recovered stolen funds and property from the guilty.
The anti-graft leader, the petitioner said had not accounted for the above stated amount which are on record according to available accounts figures at his disposal which he had submitted to the Senate Committee led by Senator Sam Anyanwu, as Chairman.
Speaking, the Committee Chairman had assured that, they will not relent, but to ensure that a thorough investigation be carried out with a view to establishing the facts so as to sustain the credibility of the image of the country. Mr. Anyanwu remarked that " the allegations are very weighty..."
One of the allegations is that, Lomorde as EFCC boss handed over a property recovered from the loots of former Bayelsa governor, Alamieyeseigha to his [Lamorde's] younger brother.
The matter came to public knowledge Wednesday, when the petitioner, George Uboh appeared before the Committee to attest that he wrote the petition and all that he wrote is correct, and charged the Senate to leave no stone unturned in the process of investigation.
Meanwhile, EFCC Lawyer, Mr. Okoroma has faulted the Committee that it was illegal to hear from the petitioner without having the accused being present before the Committee.
The anger of Mr. Okoroma was said to have been ignited following an order by the Committee to work out some EFCC men and himself, their lawyer for sneaking themselves in without introduction until they were discovered and consequently worked out.
As part of the investigation some banks have been fingered as being in full knowledge of the alleged corrupt practices of the anti-corruption leader, Golden Pen reliably gathered.

BAYELSA; APC READY TO SWALLOW PDP TODAY

The ruling party at the Federal level, the All Progressive Congress [APC]  is fully ready to accommodate, a gale of defectors from the Bayelsa State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] to her fold in the state capital, Yenagoa, today. According to the programme made available to the Golden Pen, at the party's secretariat in Yenazuegene, has it that party faithful and officials will work throughout the night to cross all the tees and dot the ies, to ensure that the programme which is expected to have thousands of former PDP members officially coming out to announce their defection to the APC in broad day light succeeds.
Golden Pen reliably gathered that, the APC had worked through the nooks and crannies to mobilize the masses to support the clarion call for positive change in the state through the electoral process of voting the would be APC governorship candidate in the forthcoming December 5 elections.
The All Progressive Congress which came into existence following the break up of the former self acclaimed largest party in Africa, the PDP, to two major factions of the old and new PDP of which the new PDP later went into alliance with other parties and become the All Progressive Congress.
The former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva was the founding member of the party from Bayelsa at the national level, who came and planted the party in the state, before her victory at the national level, in the election of Muhammadu Buhari as president of Nigeria.
And following the defeat of Dr. Jonathan of the PDP, by the APC candidate, Muhammadu Buhari the PDP in Bayelsa State was disjointed and the umbrella metaphorically torn to fragments by groups and individuals for one reason the other.
1. Immediately after the presidential rally by the PDP in Bayelsa, the then State Chairman of the Party, Col. Sam Inokoba retired was accused of diverting millions of naira meant for the programme to his private accounts, and for that he was suspended leaving the party with plenty of his supporters, the matter is still in court.
2. A former member of the Bayelsa state House of Assembly Hon. Alfred Egba defected to the APC.
3. As a result of protest votes and affiliation with other parties, nine staunch members of the PDP were expelled amongst whom were key supporters of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, namely: Hon. Waripamowei Dudafa, S/A on domestic Matters to Jonathan, Senator Barigha Amange a close supporter of the former President, Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, former Acting Governor and Chairman of Jonathan political group Transformation ambassadors [TAN]. Others were, Chief Nestor Benabo, the immediate past former governor of the state and Chamberlain Ikidi, Osomkeme Blankson, Emmanuel Okponipre,Ebikepade Dibiye and Joy Fouyowei.
Some were suspended and they include: Leighemo Kaisar,Fiebai Gbeinbo and Deinyefa Dimaro.
 Women who supported the former first Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan were equally expelled from the party those in the civil service had their employment or appointments terminated by the Dickson administration.
4. A key supporter of Governor Dickson, former Chief of Staff and then Representative of Dickson at the Bayelsa liaison office Abuja, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha defected with over a thousand supporters from the PDP to the APC.
5. Former distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from Bayelsa East, Clever Marcus Ikisikpo, former member of the National Assembly, Hon. Nadu Karibo, and Hon. Azibola Omekwe all of Ogbia Local government area with Goodluck, defected to the APC from the PDP.
6. Just a few weeks ago some elders of the state led by Senator J.K Brainbafa went to Abuja, and to the APC secretariat and invited the party Executive Committee to come to Bayelsa and receive them into the party.
7. This is the most crucial of the defection hurricane that bedeviled the PDP over the period which is most likely to be the 'last straw that breaks the Carmel's back'. A former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, and former gubernatorial aspirant, Ndutimi Alaibe is leading thousands of former PDP members of the state into the family of the APC. They include: Former Nigerian Ambassador to Japan, Oseimiegha Emmanuel Otiotio,  Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Admiral Festus Porbeni, former Speakers and Acting governors of the state, Chief Werinipre Seibarugu and Chief Nestor Benabo, Senator Clever Ikisikpo, Senator J.K. Brambaifa, Dr. Opuala Charles, Dr. Stella Dorgu, former NDDC boss, Prof. Tarila Tebepah, Chief Nathan Egba-Ologo, Hon. Warman Ogoriba, Hon. Ayibaina Duba, a former S/A to Dickson and Chairman of Bayelsa Peoples Consultative Assembly [BPCA], Chief Alex Ekiotenne and Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, Chief Lionel Jonathan-Omo, and Chief Dikivie Ikiogha.  Others include: Hon. Nadu Karibo, Azibaola Omekwe, former deputy governor, Peremobowei Ebebi, Hon. Fini Angaye, former SSG Gideon Ekewei, Hon. Bolos Indiamaowei, Hon. Nelson Believe, Hon. Christopher Enai, Chief Abeki Ebikake, Chief Hings Dumbo, Chief Godknows Powell, Charity Vadalago, Barr. Sylvanus Abila, Mrs. Tonye Apreala, Topido Imananaghan,and a former Commissioner, Frank Oputu, amongst others.   
The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Pastor Yemi Osibajo, the National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie Oyegun, the leader of the APC and former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Party Chairman, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe are expected to co-ordinate affairs at the historic event. Many dignitaries including governors, law makers, other party bigwigs and many more are billed to storm Bayelsa, to attend the programme holding at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex Yenagoa.
  

2016 GUBER RACE; BAYELSA ELDERS MOVE TO UNSEAT GOVERNOR DICKSON

Some seasoned politicians  Bayelsa State have declared to unseat the PDP administration led by Hon. Henry Dickson as Governor of the State, come the 2016 governorship election.
This was stated by the leader of a group called Bayelsa Consultative Assembly, Senator J.K. Bambaifa who remarked that the elders of the state were disenchanted with the leadership style of Governor Dickson describing him as imperialistic and self centred
Senator Brambaifa who led a high powered Bayelsan delegation of elders to Abuja were said to have been hosted by the former governor of the state and APC leader of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva who played host to them, and who took them to the National secretariat of the All Progressive Congress where calls were made on the Party's Executive Committee to come to Abuja and receive them, defectors of the PDP officially into the APC family.
They stated that their coming to Abuja was to give an attestation that they were now ready to liberate Bayelsa from the hands of the incumbent governor, Hon. Dickson It will be recalled that the PDP in Bayelsa state has been in the news over the period since after the political campaigns of the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan's PDP presidential  rally after which the former PDP Chairman of Bayelsa, Col. Sam Inokoba was suspended on allegations of mismanagement of funds, and the consequences of appointing Chief Serena Dokubo as Acting Chairman of the Party, a development Col. Inokoba has not taken lightly as he was said to have dragged the matter to Court.
Besides that, some National Assembly men of the Senate and House of Representatives, Senator Clever Ikisikpo, Hon. Nadu Karibo and others also defected to the APC. .And just recently the  former Chief of Staff of Government House of the Hon. Dickson led PDP government, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha a friend of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan also defected to the APC  with his supporters.
In a related development, it was reported that following an attempt by the former first Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to impose, Hon. Waripamowei Dudafa as her choice candidate to slug it out with Dickson in the PDP primaries some of the big wigs of the party comprising former governors, former Senators, former Commissioners, Special Advisers etc. bid PDP bye and went into the APC.
Meanwhile the National Secretariat of the PDP has given Governor Dickson a clean bill to be the sole candidate  to carry the party's flag on  the 2016 gubernatorial  race. It is now clear to doubting politicians that Dickson is the sole candidate of the PDP, and that had heightened the political tension in the state thus leading the :"Dickson must Go Elders" of the state making the Abuja trip.
Taking a critical look at the governor's camp and that of the camp of the building opposition, observers have noted with concern that if a strong reason does not prevail in the minds of the people to embrace peace, the election will very tough.