The musician, Barrister Smooth had been doing sound checks in the church premises within Creek Haven, the Government House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.  The government had planned a thanksgiving service and party in anticipation of a favourable verdict from the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt on Tuesday April 15 2008.  However, the Judges spoilt things by throwing out Timipre Sylva as Governor claiming that there “is no evidence that an election took place in the State on April 14 2007.”  Not too many people saw that coming.  The Court subsequently directed that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly be sworn-in as Acting Governor immediately and that a gubernatorial election should be conducted within 90 days. 

Promptly, Sylva made a fine broadcast to the State and packed his bags.  In turn, Barrister Smooth packed up his musical instruments.  Other would be party attendees melted away.  The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Werinepere Seibaragu turned up at the government house to be sworn-in with Sylva ready to hand over; but the State’s Chief Judge failed to show.  It would take another forty eight hours after Sylva gave way as Governor for an Acting Governor to be sworn-in.

The Chief Judge of the State, Justice Kate Abiri made herself unavailable so that the political drama unfolding in Yenagoa and Abuja could sort itself out.  Paradoxically, Justice Kate Abiri was confirmed as the Chief Judge of the State only a few weeks ago.  Before then, another Justice, Margaret Akpomiemie had been the Acting Chief Judge since May 6 2007.  She was the most senior Judge in the State.  Between Goodluck Jonathan (who was then the Governor) and Sylva, Justice Akpomiemie’s acting tenure was renewed several times – against the letter of the Constitution which only allows two acting terms of three months each.  Both Akpomiemie and Abiri transferred to Bayelsa State judiciary on October 1 1996 from the old River State.  It took eleven years for politicians in the State to discover that Akpomiemie is an Urhobo from Delta State; and pronto, some lawyers in the State organised themselves and pressure was put on the two Governors respectively not to make her the substantive Chief Judge.  In fact, the lawyers ended up boycotting her court.  The two Governors resisted until Sylva blinked and appointed Abiri Chief Judge a few weeks ago.

In any event, Justice Abiri was nowhere to be found until word came out that she was sighted in Abuja.  Why Abuja?  You see, the (PDP) politics of Bayelsa is split right down the middle between Vice President Jonathan and Timipre Sylva.  The State House of Assembly and the State PDP (which in fact has two different Chairmen) are similarly split.  The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Werinepere Seibaragu used to belong to the Jonathan’s camp until he switched to Sylva’s.  The Jonathan faction in the House of Assembly then tried to impeach him citing the usual citables: corruption, forgery, incompetence, etc, etc.  They claimed their new Speaker is Ebiotu Seleketimiebi.  This was the state of play before the Court of Appeal’s verdict.

Jonathan and Sylva fell out soon after Sylva was sworn-in as Governor.  Predictably, Sylva wanted to build and run his own political machinery.  He began dismantling Jonathan’s political base and clout.  Worse, he went about this in a public and cavalier manner.  Jonathan – schooled in Obasanjo’s academy of godfatherism and belligerent interference – still wants to call the shots from Abuja.  He has to do this because as Vice President up there in Abuja, the “owners of Nigeria” have truly relegated him to just reading newspapers; so there’s not much else for him to do.  But Sylva who has always considered himself a senior member of the State’s PDP was not going to be easily pushed around.  Other senior members and shapers of event in the State include former Governor Alamieyeseigha and Timi Alaibe, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

At every opportunity, Sylva never failed to cast aspersions on Jonathan’s short term as Governor of the State.  Not too long ago, he announced that Jonathan left behind a debt of N75 billion.  He then compounded matters by stating that this was a lot of debt to incur during a short spell as governor.  The Jonathan camp immediately picked up the gauntlet and began talking about starting impeachment proceedings against Sylva in the later part of March 2008.  They claimed Sylva had obtained a N60 billion loan from 5 different banks inappropriately.

Rufus Abadi, one of the two factional Chairmen of the State’s PDP tried to mediate.  He went to the Abuja crowd to make peace and was told to his face that he should rest assured that they do not recognise him and that they were committed to fighting him and Sylva to the very end.  He returned to Yenagoa suitably insulted.  Hours after the Court of Appeal’s verdict, the Jonathan camp employed a full media war and comprehensively disowned Sylva.  Leading this particular assault were Timi Alaibe and Senator Heineken Lokpobri. 

Lokpobri said that if the PDP goes into an election in the State with Sylva, the Party would lose hands down.  He said Sylva for nine months demonstrated high incompetence, plenty corruption, and also accused him of stealing a lot of money.  He said Sylva made “unilateral” decisions and deliberately fractionalised the PDP in the State.  House of Representative member, Seriake Dickson (a former Attorney General of the State) chipped-in that the majority of PDP stakeholders in Bayelsa would not be committed to Sylva’s candidacy.  He called Sylva “unacceptable” and one not able to build consensus.  He insisted the PDP must dump him.  While these people were talking in Abuja, their counterparts in Yenagoa were insisting that their “Speaker” Ebiotu Seleketimiebi be sworn-in as acting Governor.   

But things weren’t always like this.  In the early days, things were quite cosy and good.  It was so good that the Electoral Tribunal sitting in the State was very easily influenced and won over.  Everyone knew that there was no election in Bayelsa State on April 14 2007.  In fact, this was so much the case that INEC could not produce Forms EC8A (the result sheets from the polling units and wards) at both the Tribunal and Court of Appeal.  But that situation was well “managed” at the Tribunal level.  Now at the Appellate level, Jonathan ensured that the Appeal Court Judges were “left alone”.  Hence the verdict of April 15 2008.  

The Courts have ruled that in cases of re-ordered elections, only the previous candidates who contested can re-contest.  However, since the Court of Appeal held that no election took place on the 14^th of April 2008, does that not mean that the PDP could very well replace its candidate if it so choose?  Things would appear to be a bit tight for Sylva.  But this is Nigeria – and in particular, PDP’s Nigeria.  Anything can happen, and it is in fact beginning to happen.  While the Chief Judge was playing hide and seek with Sylva and the Speaker, Yar’Adua phoned-in from his sickbed in Wiesbaden, Germany and pulled rank over Jonathan instructing that Seibaragu be sworn-in as acting Governor immediately.   Yar’Adua then ordered PDP national heavyweights to Yenagoa to do the necessary. 

Twenty four hours later, the tables appear to be turning.  The PDP national body had formally endorsed Sylva as their candidate for the election.  Same day, PDP national Chairman Vincent Ogbulafor and former Board of Trustees Chairman, Tony Anenih stormed Yenagoa in a carnival-like fashion to enforce compliance.  Anenih named himself Chairman of the co-ordinating committee for Sylva’s re-election.

Clearly, the battle is joined.  When it was reported recently that Jonathan had some kind of meeting with Babangida and Abdulsalami, I had feared the worst.  I hope the dreaded jinx between Deputy Governors, the Vice President and their principals in Nigeria is not about to rear its ugly head again.  We can only now sit back and watch.  Let’s see how far and how well Jonathan can rumble.

demdem@hotmail.co.uk

Robot  Villager

# 1 The musician, Barrister Smooth had been doing sound checks in the church premises within Creek Ha...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 21.04.2008 10:31

Son of the Delta  Villager

# 2 The way you like writing about Bayelsa is something else. Posted by Son of the Delta| 21.04.2008 11:29

aguabata  Villager

# 3 one would be tempted to describe nigerian politics as complicated, but it isnt, its simply corrupt and lawless, a lawlessly sponsored governor being fought by another bunch of lawless men through the courts. it is sad that some nigerian journalists had the guts to criticise Mugabe's election, even though he is tyrranically using the power of incumbency zimbabwe's election process was successful except that the powers that be didnt like the flawless outcome, that said votes are being recounted on camera, an expert panel should be raised to explore the best way to hold elections in Nigeria, the country is too big and considerably underdeveloped to hold elections simultaneously. we could have a unique way for elections, possibly spreading it out in phases. Posted by aguabata| 21.04.2008 15:26

ALORAINIDDEVIL  Villager

# 4 Jonathan Cannot do anything. He is not a political heavyweight and cannot muster any force so he should just sit in Abuja and be reading newspapers even NVS and leave politics for Sylva, Alaibe and DSPA the Governor General of Ijaw kingdom. Posted by ALORAINIDDEVIL| 22.04.2008 07:18