2019 BAYELSA GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION: SYLVA IS READY AS INEC ANNOUNCES NOV. 2 TIME TABLE -By Evans Tubonah

Chief Timipre Sylva

The former Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency Chief [Hon] Timipre Sylva is right now the first and only candidate for the November 2nd, 2019 Bayelsa State Governorship election.
The Electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], Tuesday evening, announced the schedule of the State's governorship election to hold on the above stated date.
This had placed Chief Timipre Sylva, former governor of the State and the State's leader of the All Progressive Congress [APC] becoming the first and only candidate of the Bayelsa gubernatorial race for 2019. Chief Timipre Sylva a patriotic Bayelsan citizen, whose vision for the development of the oil rich Niger Delta State, was tested and trusted, 2007-2011 by the people of the State. The  amiable and development oriented. Chief Sylva sought a second tenure ticket which he won landslide, but was denied by the powers that be then in the ruling party, PDP and the then Government.
The Okpoama Nembe born politician, Timipre Sylva a former Honorable member of the Rivers State House of Assembly in the 1980s under the platform of the National Republican Convention [NRC], one of  the vibrant young politicians of the Ijaw Ethnic Nation who performed creditably to the admiration of  the people of his Constituency.  This was the spring board for his rise from glory to glory in his political journey, thus climbing the ladder at various levels to becoming the Governor of Bayelsa State in the 2007 govdernorship race. Chief Sylva contested with then incumbent governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, with Chief Francis Doukpolagha and others. That election was won landslide by Governor Goodluck Jonathan, who was deputy governor to Chief Alasmieyeseigha, who became Acting Governor after Amamieyeseigha was impeached and became governor by the Acts of parliament upon which foundation he stood and contested the  governorship election and won land slide. It was an election that placed Chief Sylva 2nd and Doukpolagha 3rd.
It was so dramatic that, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in their fatherly disposition, decided that Dr. Jonathan should leave Yenagoa to Abuja and be running mate to Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's presidential ticket, creating space for Chief Sylva who was the next on the list to take the governorship ticket.

Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi

Chief Sylva's emergence as governor of Bayelsa state was a welcome development to many across the state, in the Niger Delta and South-South geo-political zone and by extension across the country. Chief Sylva was a voice in the Governor's Forum of South-South and of Nigeria, when the former Governor of Rivers State, now, Minister of Transport, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi was Chairman of the Governor's Forum of Nigeria, and Bayelsa was a melting point  to visiting Governors, National Assembly members and other political heavy weights across the nation and the diaspora. The political history of Chief Sylva is so interesting, but not without challenging weathers, rough roads, not without curves and not without waves of the high seas of life. That should be the talk of another day.
The coming back of Chief Sylva, the Ajana 1 of Okpoama, the Opu Abadi 1 of Kolokuma, the Pigatin of Nembe, the Ikemba 1 etc is at the instance of his supporters
Why they want  him back is not unconnected the role he played single handedly took a bold initiative to convince President Umaru Musa Yar;Adua to grant amnesty to thousands of militants in the Niger

Delta Region to come out ofthe creeks and embrace, which made him a hero of the Niger Delta Governors for the sake of the amnesty deal.
It was on the 22nd of August 2009 that Sylva brought all the militants out of the creeks to the Isaac Boro Peace Park , where the deal was signed and sealed by the laying down of weapons, which endeared Sylva to the former militants till date,
Talking about the amnesty deal, "...Mr. Paul Eris popularly called Ogunboss said...the pioneering and heroic role of Sylva in initiating the amnesty and restoration of peace and security cannot be denied him. The programme which brought about empowerment of our youths must be credited to Sylva" he posited.